By Eamonn Ryan
This webinar titled ‘Strengthening the Cold Chain: Analysis and Recommendations for West Africa’, focused on current cold chain conditions and future opportunities in Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. Hosted by the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), it featured a panel of global and regional cold chain experts with deep operational, technical and policy experience. The panel included:
- Greg Laurin, president, Conestoga Cold Stores
- Nicholas Pedneault, CEO, Congebec
- Roudy Akiki, COO Africa, CT-Technologies
- Paul Matthew, director, GCCA Africa
- Amanda Brondy, vice-president, International Projects, GCCA
- Madison Jaco, manager, International Projects, GCCA
Together, these speakers brought perspectives spanning cold storage operations, logistics, engineering, energy systems, investment, and international development programming.
This is part one of an eight-part series, and this section introduces the GCCA webinar, outlines its objectives, and presents the expert panel while framing the importance of strengthening cold chain systems in West Africa.
The webinar was part of a broader effort by GCCF, supported by the USDA Emerging Markets Program (EMP), to assess cold chain infrastructure, logistics capacity and food safety systems across key West African markets.
Brondy opened the session by welcoming participants and outlining logistical details, including audience engagement through Q&A and the availability of a recorded session. She emphasised that the purpose of the webinar was not only to share findings, but also to begin a dialogue with industry stakeholders about practical, scalable solutions to cold chain gaps in the region.
Why West Africa matters to the global cold chain
West Africa plays a critical role in both regional and international trade, particularly for perishable commodities such as seafood, poultry, horticultural products and pharmaceuticals. Coastal countries like Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire serve as gateways for landlocked nations including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. However, persistent cold chain weaknesses contribute to high post-harvest losses, food safety risks and constrained trade growth.
The USDA-funded EMP initiative seeks to address these challenges by improving the handling of imported and domestically produced perishable products. While increasing US agricultural exports is a priority for USDA, GCCF emphasised that strengthening the cold chain also supports local food security, reduced food waste and improved public health outcomes.
Structure and methodology of the assessment
Jaco outlined how GCCF conducted a qualitative follow-up assessment, building on prior investment research completed by development partner LixCap. Between September and October 2024, GCCF experts and GCCA staff conducted site visits and interviews across the three target countries. Stakeholders included cold chain operators, government agencies, port authorities, food processors, equipment suppliers, logistics companies and development organisations.
The findings presented throughout the webinar reflect on-the-ground observations, operational realities, and direct stakeholder feedback rather than purely quantitative modeling.
Key themes introduced
From the outset, the webinar highlighted several recurring themes that would be explored in greater depth throughout the session:
- Infrastructure constraints at ports and logistics hubs
- Limited cold storage capacity relative to demand
- Transportation-related temperature abuse
- Energy and sustainability challenges
- The need for training, mentorship and operational best practices
These themes set the foundation for a detailed country-by-country and sector-by-sector discussion in subsequent sections.