Reimagining the Cold Chain in a Post-Pandemic World
On June 26, Carrier marked World Refrigeration Day by taking part in a key industry event focused on the future of the cold chain and releasing a white paper reimagining the cold chain in a post-pandemic world. David Appel, president, Carrier Transicold & Refrigeration, Carrier, was the keynote presenter for the “Cold Chain 4 Life” conference, held in conjunction with World Refrigeration Day 2020. The international webinar conference was hosted by the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat, ASHRAE, European Partnership for Energy and Environment, International Institute of Refrigeration and UNEP OzonAction, in cooperation with Global Food Cold Chain Council.
“COVID-19 shines an even brighter spotlight on the cold chain and getting food and medicine to those most in need,” Appel said at the virtual conference. “Cold chain system resiliency has proven to be an essential element to supply availability. We see that in the life sciences segment, monitoring strict temperature compliance is mission-critical to the delivery of diagnostic test kits, clinical-trial materials and vaccines.”
The cold chain, which includes transport refrigeration, has been disrupted by the sudden consumer shift from food service to food retail. Meanwhile the fresh produce industry supply chain in the U.S. is reeling from this sudden and immediate shut down of an estimated 40% of all produce consumed via restaurants, school lunches and school breakfasts.
Among the findings covered in the white paper:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some of the weakest links in the global food model, a system that already loses or wastes a third of all food intended for consumption.
- Investment in the cold chain remains one of the most effective ways to ensure the reliable and safe movement of food and pharmaceutical products during a pandemic, and in adapting to a post-pandemic world.
- Cold chain investment in the developed world means creating additional flexibility and resiliency by improving information-sharing among all stakeholders and making data a part of the strategic assets for each.
- Every public and private player with a stake in the global food and life sciences cold chains can contribute to reimagining, developing and advocating for this vision.
In stable times, the cold chain reduces hunger, food insecurity and greenhouse gas emissions. In times of disruption, it becomes even more essential for the most vulnerable populations to continue receiving enough nutritious, affordable food and safe, effective medicine.
Carrier takes seriously its responsibility to help preserve, protect and extend the world’s supply of food and medicine, while reducing environmental impact. As the world emerges from the pandemic, it is important to reimagine a global cold chain that is bigger, smarter, more connected, more resilient, and helps provide food security and safe medicines for billions around the world.
The Supra series now incorporates Carrier Transicold’s sophisticated APX™ control technology with Cab Command™ control interface, providing intelligent performance optimization, automatic trip data recording and enhanced system diagnostics. It seamlessly integrates with Carrier Transicold’s eSolutions™ telematics offering, enabling remote monitoring and control of the refrigeration system, GPS location data, geofencing and many more capabilities.
Learn more about Carrier’s efforts to create a stronger, more sustainable cold chain here.