By Eamonn Ryan derived from the webinar.
The Global Cold Chain Foundation (GCCF) recently completed an important study on the cold chain sector in West Africa, specifically in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. The webinar that accompanied the study highlighted the findings and recommendations from the assessment. This is part five of a 14-part series covering a webinar on this topic.
The webinar featured a panel of experts, including Greg Laurin from Conestoga Cold Storage, Nicholas Pedneault from Congebec, Roudy Akiki from CT-Technologies, and GCCF Africa’s own Paul Matthew, Amanda Brondy and Madison Jaco.
The investment in improved transport routes, such as the Agadir-Dakar Sea Route project, is noteworthy. This initiative is set to strengthen trade within West Africa and provide faster, more reliable delivery options for exporters dealing with perishable goods, such as fruits and vegetables. These advancements are critical for the cold chain sector, ensuring improved connectivity and temperature-controlled transportation. With growing industrial activity in Diem Yajo, demand for advanced cold storage and processing facilities is expected to rise, and this presents a chance for implementing modern, energy-efficient solutions that support Senegal’s economic growth while addressing sustainability challenges.
Turning to the broader transportation infrastructure in West Africa, it’s evident that while road and rail networks in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal are relatively developed, there are still significant issues in terms of operational efficiency, especially for cold chain logistics. In Côte d’Ivoire, the road networks are more advanced than in Ghana or Senegal, as shown in the maps of each country, but transportation remains a challenge.
Despite having a more developed infrastructure, both Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal face issues related to temperature abuse during transportation. For example, in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, operators of refrigerated trucks face the challenge of maintaining consistent temperatures due to practices like turning off refrigeration units to save fuel and reduce costs. This is a widespread problem across the region, and it underscores the vulnerability of cold chain transportation infrastructure, which is often the weakest link in maintaining product quality and safety.
In Ghana, the situation is somewhat different, as fewer operators appear to use refrigerated trucks, likely due to a less developed food safety framework and less reliance on temperature-sensitive goods compared to Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The fishing and seafood industries are more established in the latter two countries, which may explain the higher utilisation of refrigerated transport there. However, despite these efforts, both countries still experience considerable temperature abuse, which compromises the integrity of perishable goods in transit. The cold chain sector must address these challenges to improve reliability and efficiency, ensuring that temperature-sensitive products can be safely transported across the region.