From knowledge to practice: achieving energy efficiency through training – the example of Three Trees Gardens in Botswana

In brief

• Through the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD carried out post-training technical support on energy consumption and energy efficiency at Three Trees Gardens (Botswana).
• A milestone: one of the first such interventions on sustainable energy management in Botswana’s horticultural sector.
• The company, which supplies vegetables, fruits and herbs to the local market, relies heavily on energy (irrigation, cold storage, handling, transport).
• Main energy consumers identified: cold chain, borehole pumping and transport logistics.
• A phased roadmap combines immediate operational improvements with longer-term investments, including solar PV.

From knowledge to practice: post-training support

Having taken part in COLEAD’s Sustainable Energy Management training, Three Trees Gardens received tailored technical support to translate that knowledge into practical improvements at farm level. Led by a COLEAD expert, the mission aimed to better understand the company’s consumption patterns, strengthen energy management practices, and identify practical, cost-effective efficiency opportunities.

A hands-on mission

The mission combined field inspections, a review of energy records, consultations with management and technical staff, and assessment of key operational systems — irrigation, cold chain and logistics — to ensure recommendations reflected the company’s operational realities.

What the assessment revealed

Cold-chain refrigeration, borehole pumping and transport logistics emerged as the company’s main energy consumers and cost drivers. Several practical measures were identified: improved cold-room operating procedures, better irrigation scheduling and off-peak pumping, stronger preventive maintenance for pumps, refrigeration and transport, improved energy monitoring and record-keeping, and, in time, solar PV integration. The mission also proposed a phased roadmap pairing immediate low-cost gains with longer-term strategic investment.

What comes next

Priority actions include strengthening energy monitoring, improving operational practices, optimising refrigeration and pumping efficiency, and progressively investing in renewable energy. Beyond cutting energy costs, the intervention strengthens operational sustainability and shows how post-training support can help companies move from acquiring knowledge to putting it into practice.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.