By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye
A milestone has been reached in the quest to transform climate resilience and food security: the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain (ACES) and the Clean Cooling Network (CCN) have earned international accreditation for their innovative Train the Trainer (TtT) Program. Recognized by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), this achievement validates years of meticulous planning, collaboration, and hands-on expertise, positioning the initiative as a benchmark in professional development for clean cooling.
The program now offers globally recognized Postgraduate certificate and Master’s Degree, equipping engineers, trainers, and community leaders with the advanced skills necessary to design, implement, and sustain efficient, low-carbon cold-chain systems across diverse regions.
The accreditation—a major step in the refrigeration sector
A major stride in strengthening the global clean cooling and cold-chain workforce has been achieved, according to a press release shared by the ACES. The IAgrE has recently formally accredited the Train the Trainer (TtT) Program. This program is delivered by the ACES and the CCN at the ACES campus in Kigali. This recognition confirms that the program now offers students a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Train the Trainer – Clean Cooling and a Master of Science (MSc) in Clean Cooling. ACES and the Clean Cooling Network say that this marks a significant step forward in professionalizing the global clean cooling and cold-chain workforce.
“The accreditation recognises the high academic and professional standards of the programme and its alignment with IAgrE’s mission to promote engineering excellence, innovation, and sustainability in agriculture, the environment, and food systems. With this approval, the following qualifications are now formally recognised: Postgraduate Certificate (1 year): PGCert Train the Trainer – Clean Cooling. Master of Science (2 years): MSc in Clean Cooling, with three specialisation streams,” reads the press release specifying that the streams include Sustainable Cooling, Cold-Chain for Postharvest Management and Value Addition Cold-Chain and Business Models.
ACES and the CCN point out that building a resilient and sustainable cold-chain workforce requires more than technical expertise—it demands leaders equipped with both practical skill and strategic insight. “The deep-dive TtT course provides community leaders and mobilisers with comprehensive knowledge in refrigeration, cold chain applications, cooling hub design, and the essential business models for food and pharma. It includes 10 x 1-week modules; at the end of the course, successful candidates will receive a PGCert.
The programme can be extended by one year for students who wish to gain specialised knowledge in specific fields in relation to the sustainable Cold-Chain. At the end of which they will be awarded an MSc.”
What ACES and the network say is echoed in the words of Charles Nicklin CEng FIAgrE, Chief Executive Officer of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, who has praised the program, stating “We recognise the high standards applied to your programme and the alignment with our core professional and educational values. We look forward to our continued collaboration in maintaining the quality and relevance of professional training provision.”
“Building capacity for climate-resilient development”
ACES and the CCN highlight that the lack of reliable cold storage is silently eroding food security, undermining farmers’ hard work, and limiting the nutritional and economic wellbeing of millions. Across continents—and especially in Africa—fresh produce that should nourish households and support livelihoods instead spoils before it reaches markets.
The program, according to these institutions, responds to this challenge by developing a skilled workforce capable of building and sustaining modern, climate-smart cooling systems that strengthen communities and safeguard both people and resources. “Globally, an estimated 526 million tonnes of food is lost each year due to the absence of effective cold-chains, equivalent to nearly 12% of all food produced for human consumption. In Africa, this challenge is particularly critical, where 30–50% of perishable produce is lost post-harvest, contributing to food insecurity, economic losses, and avoidable greenhouse gas emissions.
By equipping engineers, technicians, and trainers with world-class skills and credentials, this programme helps transform these statistics into opportunities, empowering communities to design and maintain efficient, low-carbon cold-chains that protect food, health, and livelihoods.”
The urgency of developing these capabilities is not highlighted by ACES and the CCN alone. It is underlined by individuals and credible institutions.
The cold chain is a lifeline for farmers, enabling them to preserve the quality of perishable produce, reduce post-harvest losses, and access distant markets. As Kenyan farmer Zachary Kibiri from the Lari Horticulture Cooperative Society explains that, without temperature-controlled logistics, up to 50% of crops can be lost, limiting income and market opportunities. His experience shows that sustainable cold chains not only safeguard food but also empower farmers, boost earnings, and attract young people back into agriculture. “Farmers get better prices; which enables them to cater for their expenses in the farm. We used to sell a cabbage at about 15 or 20 Kenyan shillings. This time, we are able to get as high as 55 to 60 shillings per piece [cabbage]; which is almost three times the price we used to get.” For more on this point raised by Kibiri, click on Why the world still loses a billion meals a day — a Kenyan farming cooperative carries the formula to stop it.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has repeatedly underscored that strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is essential to reducing post-harvest loss and improving nutrition outcomes. Where storage and cooling systems are weak, it notes, farmers lose income, consumers lose access to nutritious food, and nations lose the chance to advance food security and stable agricultural growth. In regions where agriculture forms both a livelihood and a lifeline, FAO emphasizes that training people to manage and expand these systems is as important as the infrastructure itself.
This perspective is mirrored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which draws attention to the climate dimension of cooling. Traditional cooling systems are energy-intensive and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, yet the absence of cooling leads to waste that also drives emissions through loss and decay. UNEP stresses that the world must shift toward efficient, low-carbon cooling solutions — and that this shift requires a generation of trained professionals who understand both the engineering and the sustainability imperatives of modern cold-chains.
The World Bank further affirms that post-harvest loss is not merely an agricultural challenge, but a structural development issue. Without reliable cold-chains, rural producers cannot progress, market reach remains limited, and national economies lose billions in potential growth. This bank calls for integrated interventions that combine finance, technology deployment, and — crucially — capacity-building to ensure long-term systems maintenance and ownership.
Across Africa, this need is reinforced by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) which identifies cold-chain expansion as a driver of agricultural transformation. It argues that reducing loss after harvest constitutes one of the most immediate ways to improve livelihoods and strengthen food systems. But again, technology alone doesn’t suffice— human capacity must lead the transformation.
The importance of cold-chain competence extends beyond food systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores that reliable cold storage represents the backbone of vaccine integrity, pharmaceutical distribution, and effective public health delivery. Breakdowns in cold-chains — particularly in remote and underserved regions — can compromise treatment, weaken disease control efforts, and undermine trust in health systems.
By aligning with the priorities of FAO, UNEP, the World Bank, AUDA-NEPAD, and WHO, this program stands not only as an educational initiative but as a strategic response to global calls for climate-resilient development. It cultivates the engineers, technicians, trainers, and community leaders capable of designing, operating, and sustaining modern, efficient, low-carbon cold-chains that protect food, strengthen agriculture, secure public health, and support thriving local economies.
In doing so, it answers a challenge shared across continents — and builds the human foundation for a future where resources are preserved, livelihoods are strengthened, and development is truly sustainable.
“A Global model for professionalising clean cooling”
ACES and the CCN suggest that preparing the next generation of specialists requires training that is rigorous, relevant, and globally recognized. By receiving the IAgrE endorsement, ACES and CCN have reached a pivotal moment— that affirms the strength, quality, and global importance of their training model—enabling to accomplish that requirement. “The IAgrE endorsement signifies a milestone not only for ACES and CCN but also for the broader international effort to develop the next generation of clean cooling professionals. The Train the Trainer pathway provides several module learning structures covering refrigeration technology, postharvest management, telemetry and data logging, gender inclusion, sustainable finance, and policy leadership,” the press release reads.
Professor Toby Peters is Founding Director of ACES and Co-Founder of the CCN. His words imply immense work undergone, before attaining this success. He has said “This is a moment of genuine significance, for our programme, for the communities we serve, and for the growing global network working to make cooling a critical infrastructure for climate resilience.
To move from our first pilot course to full accreditation at PGCert and MSc levels reflects the collective rigour, innovation, and shared vision that underpin our mission. This endorsement strengthens our commitment to creating a recognised professional pathway, one that connects evidence, education, and empowerment to build a workforce ready for a sustainable cooling future.”
The ACES and CCN add that the courses were developed through an academic partnership led by the University of Birmingham, Cranfield and London South Bank Universities with funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
“Defra is investing more than £25M into the programme to accelerate the delivery of sustainable, resilient and equitable cooling and cold-chains in the developing countries of the world, harnessing them to improve food security and resilience, social, One Health, environmental, and economic goals – locally and globally,” explains the press release which further states “ With over 3,000 members worldwide, IAgrE’s endorsement provides international recognition for the programme and reinforces ACES and CCN’s growing institutional foundation for future partnerships, accreditations, and research collaborations.”
Founded in 1938, IAgrE is the UK’s professional body for engineers, scientists, and technologists working in agriculture, the environment, and agri-tech industries. This institution promotes the application of engineering and scientific principles to enhance productivity, sustainability, and innovation across global food and environmental systems.
ACES is a first-of-its-kind global center of excellence, focused on developing holistic and sustainable system-level cold-chain solutions. Built on a “Hub and Specialised Outreach and Knowledge Establishment (SPOKE)” model, ACES shares knowledge, training, and technical support across markets. SPOKEs, developed with in-country expert partners, provide local training and community support to implement tested real-world solutions.
CCN platform connects all Hubs and SPOKEs, offering a single, consistent source of data, delivery models, tested technologies, training resources, governance frameworks, and standard operating procedures.