Green recovery in agrifood chains through sustainable energy interventions

Zambia's energy sector faces significant challenges, primarily due to its overreliance on hydropower, which is vulnerable to droughts and climate variability. These vulnerabilities have led to recurring power shortages and load shedding in recent years. Furthermore, Zambia’s per capita electricity generation is below the sub-Saharan Africa average, and there is a substantial disparity in access between urban and rural areas. Additionally, Zambia’s per capita electricity generation falls below the sub-Saharan Africa average, with a stark disparity in access between urban and rural areas. Many farmers and agro-processors struggle to access modern and affordable energy services due to limited grid electricity and the high cost of diesel fuel.

Agrifood value chains in Zambia face numerous challenges affecting their productivity, profitability and sustainability. These include inadequate infrastructure (roads, storage facilities, processing plants, and market linkages), susceptibility to climate-related risks (such as droughts, floods, and pests and disease) and limited adoption of modern agricultural technologies and practices, with most smallholder farmers still rely on traditional methods, hindering productivity and sustainability.

Additionally, a baseline energy survey at the Meheba refugee settlement highlighted the critical need for electricity and refrigeration in a humanitarian context. Innovative solutions, such as solar-powered ice-making machines, have the potential to transform cold chains for underserved communities with limited access to energy.

Partners supported the project providing inputs, expertise and feedback through a Technical Working Group:

• Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Green Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock;
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees;
• Tobacco Board of Zambia.

• Zambian farmers, agro-processors and  agrifood stakeholders, especially in rural areas with scarce grid electricity and costly diesel fuel.
• Communities with limited energy access, including refugees and those in humanitarian contexts.

1. Mapping of agrifood value chains to pinpointing opportunities for impactful renewable energy interventions: 

• A comprehensive analysis of crops, livestock and fish produced and processed within Zambia, encompassing factors such as quantity, the cultivation or harvest area, as well as the production and export value.
• Based on the data gathered in the previous step, established criteria for identifying priority value chains.

2. Assessment of renewable energy technologies suitable for these value chains to enhance sustainability and energy efficiency. 

• Identified renewable energy (RE) technologies available in the market that can reliably supply the necessary energy requirements for the six selected agrifood value chains, namely cereals, horticulture, dairy, roots and tubers, tobacco, and fisheries; 
• Conducted a technical specification analysis of these identified renewable energy technologies; 
• Based on an understanding of the local production requirements and energy demands of these agrifood value chains, estimated the market potential for the identified renewable energy technologies. 

3. Collaboration with UNHCR to review existing survey data collection tools, as well as to procure renewable energy machinery and implement related training components.   

The project assessment, across six selected value chains, demonstrated significant opportunities for capital investment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction through renewable energy solutions.

• Tomato Value Chain: Solar-powered cold storage solutions, such as Cold Bot Technology and PV Cold Storage for Markets, revealed capital investment potentials ranging from $14,000 to $400,000. These solutions deliver substantial GHG savings of 5 to 30 tonnes CO2eq/year compared to diesel-fueled alternatives and 0.7 to 5 tonnes CO2eq/year compared to grid electricity options.
• Fisheries Value Chain: Photovoltaic (PV) solutions for open fishponds demonstrated exceptional GHG savings of 170 to 70,000 tonnes CO2eq/year compared to diesel-based systems and 20 to 9,000 tonnes CO2eq/year compared to grid electricity alternatives.
  

Furthermore, the Baseline Energy Survey conducted in the Meheba refugee settlement underscored the transformative potential of solar-powered ice machines. These innovations enhance cold chain efficiency across value chains, reducing monetary losses for suppliers and improving access to fresh, well-preserved food for individuals. In addition, the integration of solar energy was found to have the potential to enhance access to electricity while contributing to more efficient water usage, minimizing losses, and providing a climate-friendly energy source.

The project generated the necessary data to guide public and private investments to support a green recovery through sustainable energy interventions, and to increase access to renewable energy sources in Zambia's agri-food value chains. Additionally, it provided techno-economic guidance to increase energy and food security of refuges in the Meheba camp through the deployment of renewable energy solutions.