Indonesia’s cold chain, the process of preserving the quality of perishable consumable goods from the point of harvest to the point of consumption, was in an underdeveloped state. Considering the amount of inter-island trade and the great distances that perishables had to travel to get to market, there was considerable room for improvement. To overcome this, the USDA made funds available through the 416(b) program for a cold chain improvement project implemented by ACDI/VOCA and its partners Winrock International and Texas A&M University aimed at improving the cold chain-related technical expertise available at Indonesian universities, providing financing to businesses in the cold chain and developing an association of cold chain-related business.
ACDI/VOCA was awarded a grant to support the development of Asosiasi Rantai Pendigin Indonesia (ARPI), an Indonesian trade association that brought together stakeholders in the perishable commodities sector for the purpose of networking, investing and collaborating to build an effective cold chain network in eastern Indonesia. The target membership of the association were entities engaged in the processing, moving and retailing of perishable consumables within, to or from Indonesia, including importers, exporters, traders, vendors, transportation and storage companies, farmer cooperatives and universities.
ACDI/VOCA worked with ARPI to establish a legal foundation and promote good governance through the provision of association management and technical training. Through day-to-day human resource development, one-on-one training, conferences and workshops, ACDI/VOCA provided the association with the tools it needed to maintain viability and long-term financial health.
Association Management Training
Association members and leaders received training in association management, including:
- membership development
- board member development
- marketing associations
- fundraising
- strategic planning
- leadership skills
- financial management of an association
- financial management of grants and foreign assistance
Technical Training
ACDI/VOCA created access for association members to a number of business sector development opportunities through ARPI. These activities focused on the following topics:
- developing standards for product quality in the cold chain
- training on implementing post-harvest handling processes to ensure a higher-quality product
- economic and market analyses for perishable commodities
- funding for post-harvest handling technology and infrastructure to lengthen shelf life
- developing industry standards for business practices
- promoting consumer education campaigns
- coordinating business sector to reach economies of scale
- increasing cold chain marketing penetration and options
The program was active for a year and a half and ended in December 2004.
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