Transport refrigeration specialist Carrier has called for action toward reducing food loss at the ‘World Cold Chain Summit to Reduce Food Waste’ in Singapore last month.
The conference, which was held for the first time in Asia, convened 131 delegates from 33 nations, including global leaders in the supply chain private sector, academia, and government to discuss and develop scalable, sustainable solutions to expand and improve the cold chain to reduce food loss and waste.
“One third or more of the food we produce each year is never eaten, yet more than 50 per cent of the wasted food can have its shelf life extended by the cold chain,” said David Appel, President, Carrier Transicold & Refrigeration Systems.
“Only 10 per cent of worldwide perishable foods are refrigerated today, so there is immense opportunity to cut food waste and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions by implementing or improving the cold chain.
“As a leader in high-technology refrigeration solutions, Carrier actively contributes to the development of the cold chain by providing a communication platform, like this Summit, where all stakeholders have the opportunity to share, learn and build sustainable cold chain solutions to reduce food waste.”
The Summit endorsed the new United Nations Sustainable Development 12.3 Goal that calls for halving food waste – at retail and consumer levels, as well as reducing food losses along the entire global food supply chain – by 2030.
“We know there are many reasons why food is lost or wasted – but among them is the lack of or the underdevelopment of the cold chain,” said John Mandyck, UTC Chief Sustainability Officer and co-author of Food Foolish: The Hidden Connection Between Food Waste, Hunger and Climate Change.
“Refrigeration is the best technology to ensure food safety for perishable goods and prolong its shelf life. That’s why this Summit is so important, as it helps connect a global dialogue on how we can sustainably grow the cold chain – which in turn, can reduce food waste and feed a growing population with fresh foods containing necessary micronutrients for good health and development.”