Keep It Cool wins Earthshot prize
- Second year running a Shell Foundation portfolio recognised
- Keep IT Cool a Shell Foundation partner since 2020, co-funded with UK aid from the UK government
- Cooling and distribution solutions extend the shelf life of produce and reducing spoilage for farmers and fishers
Shell Foundation portfolio partner, Keep IT Cool, was announced this week as a winner of the 2024 Earthshot Prize in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category. Keep IT Cool was awarded £1 million to help scale their innovative solutions and growth in East Africa and beyond.
This is the second year running that a Shell Foundation portfolio company has been recognised in the category, following S4S’s award in 2023.
Keep IT Cool (KIC) provides sustainable refrigeration and smart distribution solutions for small farmers and fishers. By extending the shelf life of produce and reducing spoilage, KIC increases incomes and reduces emissions caused by food waste.
Shell Foundation has supported KIC since 2020 to pilot solutions for intermittent grid and off grid fisherfolk and distributors, to help expand its reach and generate additional income, and to validate Keep IT Cool’s business model. The support is co-funded by the UK government through our Catalysing Agriculture programme and the Tranforming Energy Access platform.
KIC is now working to expand their activities in poultry, fruit, and vegetables, with plans to expand its service to more communities and improving the livelihoods of up to 1.6 million people by 2030.