Industry and United Nations team up for global cold chain symposium

The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction are convening for a virtual World Cold Chain Symposium on Sept. 14, 2021.

The event will focus on international policies and technology directions related to the sustainable cold chain solutions and their contribution to a global environmental and sustainable development agenda. Participants will discuss several ongoing industry-supported initiatives and programs aimed at tackling data and tech assessment as well as technology selection and best practices for cold chain operations.

“Great momentum is being created with national and international initiatives to reduce food loss and waste,” said Jim Curlin, head of UNEP OzonAction.

“Our goal is to encourage the adoption of cold chain technology that meets societal needs in an environmentally sustainable way, and thereby contributes to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals.”

Participants will include high-level expert representatives from government, industry, the international community and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

There is growing recognition of the need for more attention and action on sustainable cold chains for food security public health, environmental, and economic reasons.

The symposium will highlight many efforts occurring within UNEP on this subject, including the Joint GFCCC/UNEP OzonAction database and modelling program, the work of the UNEP Cool Coalition, actions that support the Rome Declaration on the Contribution of the Montreal Protocol to Food Loss Reduction through Sustainable Cold Chain Development, and efforts to develop appropriate financial mechanisms for national capacity building and initiation of technology projects.

The GFCCC and OzonAction recently announced the launch of the Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative. The initiative was developed to assist developing countries in identifying their cold chain baselines in order to support the expansion of sustainable cold chain in their countries , reduce food loss and waste, and meet environmental objectives. The launch comes in advance of the United Nations Food Security Summit, and is meant to support expansion of a sustainable global cold chain.

“The GFCCC/UNEP OzonAction Cold Chain Database and Modeling initiative is just an important step in a global approach to reduce food loss and waste, increase food security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through expansion of a sustainable cold chain,” said GFCCC executive director Kevin Fay.

GFCCC is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste, and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy efficient low-global warming potential technology.