The Freshpack Boxes project addresses high postharvest food losses in East Africa caused by limited access to affordable cold storage. Many smallholder farmers and vendors lack reliable cooling options, leading to food waste, lower incomes and reduced food security, while conventional refrigeration is often too expensive and energy-intensive. The project’s solution is a portable, electricity-free cooling box that uses patented smart fabric to regulate temperature and humidity, keeping fresh produce cool for up to 10 days without ice, batteries or solar power. To improve affordability, The technology is delivered through an affordable Cooling as a Service rental model, which allows farmers and vendors to access cooling without purchasing the equipment. During its first year, the project will deploy units in Rwanda, equip them with IoT sensors to monitor performance, and train 300 farmers, youth and vendors in passive cold chain management.

Major costs include manufacturing the cooling boxes, installing IoT sensors, delivering training programmes, staffing and operating the CaaS model. The project is currently financed through grants, donor funding, rental income and in-kind support from local partners. Key challenges include distributing units to remote communities, increasing awareness and adoption of passive cooling technologies, maintaining the IoT network and ensuring the rental model remains affordable and financially sustainable. The long-term goal is to scale the model across East Africa through community-managed CaaS hubs, creating green jobs, reducing food waste and increasing smallholder incomes.