Kaldara Group uses a cool Icelandic innovation to help Kenyan fishermen
Kaldara Group has patented recyclable plastic foam boxes to reduce fish losses in Kenya’s fishing industry. Proven in Iceland, the solution addresses up to 30% post-harvest losses caused by poor infrastructure. With support from Nopef, Kaldara tested the concept in Kenya, saw positive results, and has now launched a local subsidiary to sell its innovation.
Kaldara Group ehf.
Iceland
Kenya
2023-2024
Agriculture, forestry and fishery
‘Cool from catch to consumer’ is Kaldara Group’s motto, the idea being that fish should be chilled as soon as they are caught and should stay chilled until they are sold to the end user.
“In the past, Icelandic fishing vessels used non-insulated boxes, but now they use insulated tubs to keep fish cool. This has helped to increase the quality of fish at the point of sale and reduce losses”, says G. Thor Thormodsson, CEO of Kaldara Group. “I thought if it works here in Iceland, why couldn’t it work elsewhere?”
Thormodsson met Victor Degerlund, Senior Investment Officer at Nefco, at a startup event in Reykjavik in 2023. They began discussing Nefco’s work, such as facilitating the scale-up of Nordic green solutions on global markets through the Nordic Project Fund (Nopef).
“Kaldara Group’s solution caught our interest due to the multiple environmental benefits it provides. The products can decrease food waste, helping to reduce overfishing and protect biodiversity as well as improve fishers’ livelihoods”, says Degerlund. “The solution also contributes to reducing plastic waste since the boxes are reusable and recyclable.”
Lack of cooling results in food waste
Most of Kenya’s fishing fleet is artisanal, with few big industrial vessels. A 2021 study examined five artisanal fishing sites in Kenya, with 65 per cent of respondents reporting loses from food waste, up to 34 per cent in the worst cases.
Some small fishing boats do not have insulated containers onboard at all. Others use single-use boxes made from expanded polystyrene (EPS, often called Styrofoam). EPS can be recycled, but it is difficult, so many recycling centres refuse to handle it.
“There is a lack of solutions on the market to keep fish cool that don’t rely on the use of plastic, which in practice is non-recyclable”, Degerlund says. “This is a common problem in many areas of the world.”
“Our boxes are reusable and typically have a lifespan of ten years or more”, Thor explains. “I estimate our reusable box to be 7-8 times more economical and with a carbon footprint about 80 per cent lower over its lifetime compared to a single-use box.”
Cool boxes designed for artisanal fishing
Kaldara Group received a feasibility study grant from Nopef to evaluate the Kenyan market. They met with government officials, financiers and potential partners, as well as researching the viability of opening an office and factory. The results of the study suggested significant potential for their patented Nordic innovation in the new market. In response, Kaldara Group opened a subsidiary and hired four people in Kenya, two of them women.
“In Iceland, we use fish tubs that need to be picked up by a forklift, but this won’t work for Kenya’s small fishing boats”, says Thor. “We developed a smaller box that holds about 50-70 litres or 20-30 kilos of fish.”
A typical fishing boat might have 10 of these boxes onboard, half filled with ice. The fish are layered with ice in the boxes as they are caught, keeping them cool and fresh until they are brought to shore. While an uncooled fish might last a day, fish stored in ice can keep for a week.
Kaldara Group uses expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam inside its cool boxes. They have developed a method that allows the foam to expand much more than in typical applications, lowering the overall weight and improving the insulating properties of their boxes. Currently the boxes are manufactured in India, but Thor hopes to soon open a factory in Kenya.
“We have had a good experience with Nopef”, Thor concludes. “They are ready to support promising projects and will help you throughout the process. They helped us plan how to conduct our study. They are the number one institution to work with.”
