GCCF Hosts Successful Trainings, Consultations in West Africa

Arlington, VA – June 20, 2025 In April, GCCF delivered a series of in-person trainings in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Senegal as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded Emerging Markets Program in West Africa. The training covered business development for third-party cold storage and logistics providers, design-build best practices for cold storage, and warehouse operations. More than 70 participants from the three countries participated in total.

James Eason delivered the training in Ghana in conjunction with the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF’s) Trade Mission in Accra. The training was attended by local operators and service providers. In collaboration with USMEF, the event offered valuable networking opportunities for U.S. exporters, African importers, and cold storage and logistics companies in Ghana. Additional on-site training and consultations were provided for operators in Tema, Ghana, as part of GCCF’s programming in the country.

In Abidjan, Daniel Kaplan delivered training to Ivorian cold chain operators, investors, and government representatives to facilitate networking and awareness. The training was also supplemented by consultations to local retail distribution centers and the country’s primary food bank, a member of the Global Foodbanking Network.

Mr. Kaplan was joined by Roudy Akiki in Senegal to deliver three additional days of training and consultations in Dakar. Here, Mr. Akiki dove into the best practices of designing and constructing cold storage in West Africa with respect to local conditions.

The in-person training, consultation, and networking activities are supplemented by virtual training and digital resources on GCCA’s Cold Chain eCampus. Courses include Energy Management, Food Safety, International Certifications, and Transportation, and are delivered in English and French. Additional activities, including a mentorship program and further consultations, are ongoing. GCCF extends thanks to all our GCCA and CEBA member companies who have supported this training activity: Agile Cold Storage, CT-Technologies, Lineage, NewCold, PLM Fleet, QuickFreeze, SnoTemp Cold Storage, and Vertical Cold Storage.

To learn more about this and other GCCA International Projects, please contact our International Projects Manager, Madison Jaco (mjaco@gcca.org).