Unlocking climate-resilient agrologistics and cold chain investments along the Northern Corridor

Summary

The Northern Corridor connects the Port of Mombasa in Kenya to the hinterland countries of
Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It links key members of the East African Community (EAC) customs union and has long served as a backbone for both regional trade and extra-regional imports and exports. Today, the corridor stands at the intersection of several structural transitions: rising food-import dependence and vulnerability to climate shocks; slow agricultural-productivity growth and high post-harvest losses; and political commitments to regional trade facilitation and infrastructure upgrading. Climate-smart agrologistics and cold chain development can help reduce postharvest losses, improve market access for farmers and SMEs, and expand intra-regional trade in nutritious and climate-resilient food.

This note sets out a vision and investment case for climate-smart agrologistics and cold chain development along the Northern Corridor in East Africa. It examines current constraints, emerging opportunities and priority actions required to unlock inclusive regional trade, reduce food losses and strengthen food security and safety across the wider region of East and Central Africa.

In this vision, the Northern Corridor would function as a regional logistics backbone for food movement, enabling more reliable and climate-smart transport and cold-chain services between production areas, domestic markets and regional trade routes.