Amid Food and Climate Crises, Investing in Sustainable Food Cold Chains Crucial – African Business

More than 3 billion people can’t afford a healthy diet; Lack of effective refrigeration directly results in the loss of 526 million tons of food production, or 12 per cent of the global total; Developing countries could save 144 million tonnes of food annually if they reached the same level of food cold chain infrastructure as developed countries

According to the UN, food insecurity is increasing, and so governments, international partners and industry need to invest in sustainable food cold chain to reduce hunger, provide livelihoods to people, and adapt climate change.

Today launched at the 27^th Climate Change Conference, the Sustainable Food Cold Chains reportThe UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), finds that food cold chains are critical to meeting the challenge of feeding an additional two billion people by 2050 and harnessing rural communities’ resilience, while avoiding increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The report was created within the framework of UNEP-led Cool Coalition in partnership with FAO, the Ozone Secretariat, UNEP OzonAction Programme, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

“At a time when the international community must act to address the climate and food crises, sustainable food cold chains can make a massive difference,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “They allow us to reduce food loss, improve food security, slow greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, reduce poverty and build resilience – all in one fell swoop.”

Food insecurity on the Rise

The number of people suffering from hunger around the world grew to 828 millions in 2021, an increase of 46 million year-on-year. 

Nearly 3.1 billion people couldn’t afford a healthy diet in 2020. This was 112 million more than 2019 due to inflation. In the meantime, the conflict in Ukraine has pushed up the prices for basic grains, which threatens food security.

All this is happening while 14% of all food intended for human consumption is lost or damaged before it reaches its destination. One of the main causes of food loss is the absence of a cold chain that can maintain the quality, nutritional values, and safety of food.

According to the report 144 million tonnes of food could be saved annually by developing countries if they had the same level of food cold-chain infrastructure as developed nations.

The post-harvest loss of food reduces the income of small-scale farmers in 470 million countries by 15%, most notably in developing countries.  These families can be lifted from poverty by investing in sustainable food cold chain investments.

“Sustainable food cold chains can make an important difference in our collective efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. All stakeholders can help implement the findings of this report, to transform agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable – for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind” said QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO.

Climate impact

The food cold chain has serious consequences for climate change, and the environment. The estimated 1 gigatonne of carbon dioxide emitted by food loss and other waste from lack of refrigeration was approximately 1 gigatonne (CO).₂) equivalent in 2017 – about 2 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

It contributes to the emission of methane, which is a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas. It is possible to reduce atmospheric methane levels by taking immediate action.

Overall, the food cold chain is responsible for around four percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions – when emissions from cold chain technologies and food loss caused by lack of refrigeration are included.

In addition to causing irreversible conversion of land for agriculture purposes, lost food also damages the natural environment by reducing the use of resources such water, fossil fuels, energy and other resources.

The reduction of food loss and wastage could have a positive impact on climate changes, but only if the new cooling-related infrastructure is designed for gases with low global warming potential, is energy efficient, and runs on renewable energy.

The adoption of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and the Rome Declaration on “the contribution of the Montreal Protocol to sustainable cold chain development for food waste reduction” provide a unique opportunity to accelerate the deployment of sustainable food cold chains.

Progress being made

Projects from around the globe show that food cold chains can make a real difference. India’s pilot food cold chain project has reduced the loss of kiwi fruit by 76%, while also reducing emissions through increased use of refrigerated transportation.

A project to install 54 ColdHubs in Nigeria prevented the spoilage and increase in household incomes of 5,240 small-scale farmers, wholesalers, and retailers.

These projects, which are illustrated in the new report alongside many other case studies, are still an exception to the rule.

Recommendations for decision makers

The report makes a number recommendations to governments and stakeholders to increase global food cold chain sustainability.

• You must consider the whole system approach to food cold chains provision. Recognize that just providing cooling technologies is not enough.
• Determine the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in food cold chains.
• Collaborate to undertake food cold chain needs assessments, and develop costed National Cooling Action Plans. Those plans are backed up with specific actions as well as financing.
• To prevent illegal imports or inefficient food cold chain equipment, enforce and implement ambitious minimum efficiency standards.
• To demonstrate the positive impacts of sustainable cold chain systems and to show how interventions can be used to create resilient and sustainable scaling solutions, large-scale system demonstrations should be conducted.
• Multidisciplinary centres can be established at the national and regional levels for food cold chain development.

Distributed by APO Group for United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).