Post-harvest losses remain a critical challenge for smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, where limited storage options and inefficient practices contribute to significant food waste. AkoFresh, a Ghanaian startup and member of GCIC Cohort 9, offers sustainable solutions to preserve crops, empower farmers, and combat climate change. In Ghana’s rural farming communities, one challenge has persisted for generations. While smallholder farmers work tirelessly to cultivate crops, much of their hard work is lost to inadequate storage, limited market access, and a lack of resources.

Enter AkoFresh, a Ghana-based startup which has been transforming the agricultural landscape, by empowering farmers, and tackling food waste with the help of some amazing tech solutions – and the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC). AkoFresh are the kind of visionary entrepreneurs we cherish – those who create meaningful change by fostering solutions that not only drive economic growth but also contribute to a sustainable future. And at GCIC, we consider ourselves invaluable allies, providing the resources and expertise needed to help startups like AkoFresh thrive. Over the past decade, we’ve given startups much tailored support, comprehensive business training, mentorship from global experts, and grants designed to scale impactful ideas – everything a startup needs to succeed.

AkoFresh: the story so far
Their story begins in Akumadan, a tomato-growing community in Ghana. Here, farmers faced heartbreaking losses, often watching their hard-earned produce rot before it could reach buyers. Witnessing this plight, AkoFresh’s founders were inspired to act.

Through the Fishbowl Challenge, they secured US$25,000 in funding, which allowed them to finesse their design – a solar-powered cold storage system capable of preserving crops for up to 21 days. Road-testing the storage system among 20 farmers in Akumadan had remarkable results – the farmers reported fewer losses, higher incomes, and improved market access.