According to the World Bank, in South Asia, over 30% of all food is lost or wasted each year, enough to feed nearly 300 million people. Meanwhile, World Resources Institute reports that post-harvest losses remain a major challenge across sub-Saharan Africa, where food loss is estimated at around 37% of produce.
Recognising the significant challenge of post-harvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund launched its AgriTech funding Call in 2023. The initiative sought innovative technologies capable of transforming food systems and reducing losses after harvest.
Launched in 2026, Agritech Advance builds on the original Agritech funding Call. It supports the development and scale-up of clean energy agricultural technologies that improve post-harvest management, cut food loss and strengthen climate resilience for smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.
About Agritech Advance
Agritech Advance builds on the original Agritech Call, as part of the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund. It supports the development and scale-up of clean energy agricultural technologies that improve post-harvest management, cut food loss and strengthen climate resilience for smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.
Smallholder farmers produce a substantial share of food in the region. However, many face persistent challenges due to lack of reliable processing, drying, and cooling infrastructure.
These challenges are more severe in off- and weak-grid settings, where accessing energy-efficient equipment is limited.
Agritech Advance aims to bridge this gap by enabling innovators to test and scale technologies that improve food quality, unlock market access and strengthen livelihoods.
Managed by Energy Saving Trust, the programme provides an ecosystem of support, including:
In addition, the programme offers further targeted support to help organisations scale, including:
Building on earlier Agritech funding, this cohort of organisations has been awarded follow-on support to demonstrate and scale innovative agricultural technologies.
This ongoing support helps address gaps in continuous funding, improving food safety, reducing losses, strengthening supply chains and supporting livelihoods across diverse farming systems.
Scaling an off‑grid solar-biomass drying system that enables Malawian farmers to produce export‑quality dried fruits and spices. The project validates continuous day‑to‑night drying, boosts farmer incomes through a drying as a service model and builds investment evidence for expansion to 300 tonnes of annual processing.
Commercialising portable forced‑air evaporative cooling chambers for fruit and vegetable storage in off‑grid Northern Nigeria. The low‑cost, low‑energy chambers help farmers reduce spoilage, preserve quality and improve incomes through more flexible market access.
Creating solar‑powered RADiCool cold‑storage units for fish farmers in rural Uganda. Using phase‑change materials and IoT monitoring, the system offers an affordable, decentralised alternative to traditional cold‑chain solutions, reducing fish losses and improving access to higher‑value markets.
Scaling smart solar dryers equipped with FarmShield™ IoT sensors and automated HVAC control to improve drying efficiency for staple crops. The project generates performance and economic data to unlock rent to own financing and expand access to smart processing infrastructure.
About
Launched in November 2023, the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund awarded USD1.7 million in funding to 11 organisations for the development of clean energy agricultural technologies.
The aim of the Agritech Call was to provide support to those developing clean energy agricultural technologies in the areas of: post-harvest management, including harvesting, handling, storage, processing, and transportation, and improvements to food systems in horticulture, dairy, fishing and livestock.
According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development, smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia’s food systems play a critical role by producing approximately 30% of most food commodities.
However, 85% of smallholder farmers lack access to energy, and food loss and waste equate to around 37% of all produce in Sub-Saharan Africa. Access to sustainable and affordable technologies such as cold storage or solar-powered drying of produce can support the reduction of food loss and improve access to market.
11 successful organisations used the support to fund their projects including field trials taking place in several countries including Kenya, Tanzania, India and Uganda