The Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP) announced today the unveiling of the Off-Grid Cold Chain Challenge (OGCCC), an initiative that aims to identify the world’s best and most innovative off-grid cold chain technologies, and accelerate the development of commercial market for those technologies. The program will launch early 2018.

Modern cold chain technology is essential to the agricultural sector. Cold chains manage the temperature of perishable goods from farm to table, maintaining quality and safety in the supply chain, reducing food loss and increasing food supplies. Cold chains have the potential to significantly improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers. However, modern cold chain technology is often out of reach in off-grid areas in developing markets due its cost, a lack of access to electricity, and the wide variety of uncoordinated stakeholders in the broader cold chain. The OGCCC will seek to promote technologies that will overcome these obstacles.

OGCCC is a part of Ideas to Impact, a UK Department for International Development-funded initiative to catalyse innovation on significant environmental and developmental problems related to climate change, energy and water services. OGCCC is implemented in partnership with Energy 4 Impact.

Global LEAP seeks to accelerate markets for small-scale solar lighting, off-grid appliances, and mini-grids through efforts focused on product quality assurance, promotion of demand-side super-efficiency, and partner collaboration. 

Click here to find out more about the OGCCC.