Freshguard Academy

Changemaker: Fridah Chepkoech

Country of implementation: Kenya

In Kenya and across East Africa, small-scale farmers lose 30–40% of their fruits and vegetables before they reach the market due to poor post-harvest handling. Most of these losses happen right at the farm—caused by issues like improper harvesting, lack of sorting, poor hygiene, inadequate packaging, and exposure to heat.

To address this, Fridah and her team launched FreshGuard Academy, a practical education program that trains young farmers and women between the ages of 18 and 35 on how to reduce post-harvest losses and maintain the quality of their fresh produce. The program focuses on real-world, actionable skills rooted in KS 1758 Standards, circular economy principles, and market-readiness practices to reduce waste, improve quality, and boost income.

Participants benefit from interactive workshops, on-farm demonstrations, and peer-led training sessions designed to reflect their daily farming challenges.

FreshGuard Academy is a subsidiary of FreshGuard Technologies, a startup currently in its concept phase and part of the EIT Climate KIC and GrowthAfrica accelerator programs. The team includes Fridah (trained in circular economy and learning facilitation), Victor (co-founder, agricultural engineering), and Kevin (Global Changemaker and UN Global Compact pioneer).

FreshGuard Academy is in conversations with potential partners such as Tamu Tamu Tanzania, the University of Nairobi’s Horticulture Department, the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya, and Kirinyaga Tomato Cooperative, with plans to collaborate on farmer outreach and training.

We are partnering with the University of Nairobi’s Horticulture Department through a Post-Harvest Specialist – Professor Jane Ambuko who will provide technical support, help co-design training content, and guide evaluation of knowledge transfer.

This collaboration supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by promoting lifelong learning through farmer capacity building and skills development rooted in academic expertise hence ultimately bridging the gap between Academia and the Industry. The project equips farmers with knowledge and skills in post-harvest management, market readiness strategies, and circular economy practices. By integrating academic expertise from university partners and applying a Training of Trainers (ToT) model, the project creates a scalable, community-driven learning system.