In the meat sector, a heat-stable form of protein could be a lucrative product, according to Craig Irvine, Group CEO of poultry company Irvine’s Africa. “One of the biggest challenges that we have is lack of refrigeration and a lack of power infrastructure. So if you find some sort of heat stable, long shelf life type product, that will be a real winner,” he said.

Fish farming presents a significant opportunity in Côte d’Ivoire, as highlighted by Désiré N’zi, CFO for Africa and the Middle East at food processing equipment maker Bühler Group. He explained that the country consumes about 800,000 tonnes of fish annually, with around 80% being imported.

Marvin Nii Adom Armah, a senior account manager at Ghana-based Farmerline, pointed to traceability technology that enables the tracking of food products through all stages of production, processing, and distribution. Traceability is becoming increasingly crucial for consumers and regulators. Armah noted the growing pressure on companies to prove that their ingredients are not sourced from recently deforested lands or contributing to forest degradation. The European Union’s new deforestation regulations come into effect later this year.