This week the minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher signed an agreement with the Government of Kenya for Flying Swans, the consortium Invest International supports with project development financing. The start for building a sea freight cool logistics corridor to help Kenya’s flower and perishable – fresh produce – industry. Helping reduce the carbon foot print and creating local jobs.
Kenya is the logistics hub for East Africa and an important trade partner for the Netherlands. In both countries hundreds of thousands of people work in the flower and perishable (avocados e.g.) industry. The challenge is to make the transition to sustainable supply chains.
“This partnership means an important step to the development of a northern cool logistics corridor, which will be contributing to greening the supply chain in the flower and fruit & vegetable sector, creating jobs and increasing the income position of farmers”, says Femke Bos, Director Business Development, Strategy & Impact of Invest International.
“Help greening the supply chain in the flower and fruit & vegetable sector and increase the income position of local farmers. ”
An aerial overview of the Maasvlakte and Port of Rotterdam. Photo: © Port of Rotterdam.
Flying Swans is a consortium consisting of Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, Boskalis, Mercator Novus and GroentenFruit Huis. The consortium works in close cooperation with Invest International, embassies and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
Marcel Biemond of Flying Swans: “We are very pleased with this important step towards making our plans for a cool logistics chain become reality. This is really going to benefit both the Kenyan and Dutch economy and make impact on reducing the carbon footprint amongst other things. Expect it to be 80 percent lower than with air freight.”
With this cooperation, Invest International will pioneer the creation of a cool logistics, in which the longstanding trade between the Netherlands and Kenya will thrive, whilst reducing carbon emissions (SDG 13), as well as creating jobs (SDG 8).
On the picture minister Schreinemacher is signing the agreement with the Kenyan Government. Photo: © Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Flying Swans was constructed for developing bankable infrastructure projects in cool logistics in which ports, cold stores and consolidation centres co-operate. Especially creating very interesting economic opportunities for emerging countries like in Africa or South-America whilst contributing to the Dutch economy.
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