"I’m very excited to be part of this movement": Head of Research, Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye, on five years at ACES

Looking back over his five years at ACES, there are many things that Dr Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye is proud of – from tirelessly working to procure equipment in the early days to his current role as Head of Research. "When I show people around the campus, though, that’s when I feel really proud." he said.

Over the course of the hour-long tour, he watches as his guests "become aware" of how unique ACES is. Moving between buildings on the Rubirizi campus in Kigali, they begin to understand the mission: to empower smallholder farmers through access to sustainable cold-chain technology and world-class expertise.

"When we move them through the demonstration hall, it has a huge impact," he explained. "In Rwanda – in Africa – there are so few places where you can go and look at quality equipment and discuss it with the different experts we have here. When we started, we didn’t realise how impactful that would be."

Jean Baptiste and the ACES Journey

Fresh from a PhD in food science and safety in Sweden, Jean Baptiste joined ACES, "when it was just starting" in November 2020, and initially worked on engaging stakeholders and procuring equipment. "We really put in our passion and desire to create the ACES we see today," he recalled. "I’m really glad that I was part of that journey."

When ACES started teaching students, his background in food science made him an ideal candidate to teach courses on post-harvest management and food safety. Now, he oversees a wide-ranging research program covering every aspect of what he calls, "the big problem": how to establish "economically viable, environmentally friendly, and socially impactful" cold-chains that can distribute fresh food and vaccines across Africa.

"A cold-chain is not just equipment," he emphasised. "It is rather a critical infrastructure which can unlock all these aspects – when it is deployed properly."

Much of the research produced by ACES revolves around showing what does and doesn’t work: "cold-chains are energy intensive, and the equipment is expensive," Jean Baptiste said. "Therefore, a business model should be able to indicate how much to invest, and how to return that money."

He added: "We need to start with a need assessment, and we need to build local capacity so that people can really own the cold-chain infrastructure, know how it functions, and use it for economic growth – while protecting the environment and being inclusive."

In comparison, he said: "An unviable business model is a situation where a cold-chain is deployed but doesn’t prove its worth in various manners."

According to Jean Baptiste, Africa is littered with dormant cold-chain projects that failed to appreciate the local context and so became a burden to operate, rather than a benefit. He explained: "One can see that food loss is very high on the supply side, but if you don’t cater for demand, then the business model will be weak from the start."

ACES and the Community

Given this history of sub-par implementations, Jean Baptiste said he is, "really excited" that ACES focuses on in-depth community engagement. "Instead of spreading the energy and effort across many communities, we’re taking one community and diving deep, doing the journey with them," he said.

The key, he explained, is ensuring that the smallholder farmers that produce the majority of Africa’s food reap the benefits of their own labour. "If farmers are not empowered properly, then the food supply is at risk," he said. "There are so many areas that are not served by proper technology, proper knowledge, or proper interventions that empower these farmers to feed the world."

A key method through which ACES hopes to address this is the creation of Community Cooling Hubs, which will aim to "capture value" in communities by offering services such as food processing and electric vehicle charging.

"Furthermore, if these farmers are not empowered to safeguard the environment, then it’s not just them that are at risk: it is all of us," he said. He was quick to add that we are all on "the same journey" and should not act "privileged" in comparison to farmers who have not heard as much about climate change.

"When I joined ACES, I did not understand the full size of the [climate] problem," he recalled. "It was through active engagement that I became aware, for example, of how leaking refrigerants can evaporate and cause ozone damage and global warming. We really have to invest in being humble and going on the journey with them. That journey isn’t just a PowerPoint – it needs to include demonstration and interaction."

How ACES has impacted Jean Baptiste

When contemplating the sheer scale of the problem ACES is trying to tackle, Jean Baptiste said he has various methods to "keeps [his] engine running", including morning routines and going to the gym. "My day starts at home with my two kids and my wife," he said. "We share some moments in the morning before they go to school."

He said he has greatly benefitted from the ACES mentorship program, which saw him paired with another staff member in Kenya. He explained: "it was not to teach one another, but rather to learn and share experiences. Mentorship opened a big door for me, and after the program I have continued looking at my weaknesses and what can help me progress and stay motivated."

He said he is looking forward to the next stage of work at ACES, which will see major expansions in community outreach and awareness campaigns. He added: "We have to raise awareness among school children – who are the future engineers – among policymakers, and among the industries who supply equipment: every stakeholder has a contribution, but they also have something to learn."

At the recent Festival of Cooling at the ACES campus in Kigali, he said farmers were able to interact directly with equipment suppliers, an opportunity they would not have in their communities. "Those are the things we want to replicate," he said. "It was a very moving experience for me. I’m very excited to be part of this movement."