Survey says - Resilience is now key to strengthening the global cold chain

In the massive global cold chain network - where an endless array of temperature sensitive products is shipped thousands of miles every day - resilience has become the expectation.

And despite various forms of disruption, efficiency and flexibility are not contradictory goals in the effort to minimize waste, maximize margins and meet consumers’ changing demands.

These are some of the primary takeaways from Lineage’s 2026 Cold Chain Insights Survey. The full report, released in June 2026, analyzes an extensive list of factors influencing ongoing worldwide logistics decisions and risk planning.

The study reports an industry evolving in a time of technology, complexity, and opportunity. Based on a survey of 1,000 decision-makers across the United States (500), Canada (250), and Mexico (250), Lineage provides insight into how companies are seeking resilience while evaluating logistics partnerships and prioritizing investments.

Respondents were mid-management level or higher from companies with a minimum revenue of $250,000 USD equivalency and at least 10 employees. Qualifications included utilizing a logistics or cold chain service company and overseeing food products at their company. Data collection via email invitation and an online survey occurred between October 17 and November 7, 2025, preceding recent events associated with 2026 increased fuel costs.

“Food and beverage company leaders are no longer reacting to isolated disruptions; they are operating in an environment where volatility has become a persistent condition to plan against. Companies are strengthening resilience strategies, increasing investments in data and automation and seeking closer alignment with logistics partners,” the report states. “In practice, this is meant to enable greater flexibility in network design, better visibility across operations and closer partner coordination in real time. Resilience is increasingly defined by responsiveness – the ability to integrate data, scale operations, and adapt to changing conditions in real time, rather than more traditional conventions like capacity or cost control. As food supply chains continue to evolve, performance will depend on the ability to combine intelligence, network scale, and execution discipline.”

“External uncertainty and instability are driving planning conversations among supply chain leaders. The findings suggest that food and beverage companies are no longer treating disruption as a temporary factor and are adjusting their strategic frameworks to accommodate it.”

A snapshot of the Lineage survey findings:

Respondents Top Concerns in Supply Chain Planning

• Shifts caused by changes in consumer preferences – 44%
• Changes in global trade relationships (including tariffs) - 42%
• The possibility of another unforeseen pandemic-level event – 41%
• Food-specific illness outbreaks and recalls - 35%
• Natural disasters or extreme-weather events - 33%
• Changes in regulatory or compliance requirements - 28%
• Geopolitical tensions or conflicts - 27%
• Shortages of workforce talent - 27%
• Cybersecurity incidents - 18%

“The range of concerns across consumer behavior, trade policy, public health, climate, and workforce issues points to a more complex operating environment, signaling an industry operating under sustained complexity rather than isolated disruption,” the report states.

Respondents Expected Areas of Trade Growth Over the Next 12 Months

• The US - 42%
• Canada - 30%
• Mexico - 29%
• Asia - 22%
• Africa - 15%
• Australia - 13%
• Europe - 12%
• South America - 8%
• None of these - 5%

“These expectations reflect both policy-driven considerations like tariff exposure and shifting consumer preferences, with 32% of leaders noting increased prioritization of domestic products. While 31% plan reactive responses to tariff changes and 28% are proactively preparing for potential impacts, both approaches point toward greater regional and in-country concentration of trade,” the report states. “At the same time, cross-border trade remains foundational to the North American food system. Trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico continues to account for a significant share of overall food movement.”

Respondents Say AI is Delivering Measurable Operational Advantage

• Returns on AI have matched or come close to matching company investments- 62%
• Returns on AI have surpassed company investments - 24%
• Returns on AI have not made up for company investments - 14%

“The data indicates that AI is already delivering tangible results across supply chain operations...indicating broad validation of these investments. These findings suggest that AI has moved from experimentation to performance multiplier,” the report states. “Companies should consider accelerating integration of predictive tools into daily operations to strengthen reliability and competitiveness, and to set themselves up for short- and long-term returns on AI.”

Customers Want More From Their 3PL Providers

• My storage and logistics provider(s) met most needs, but there are areas where we needed more support - 50%
• My storage and logistics provider (s) met all of our needs - 28%
• We had evolving needs that our storage and logistics provider(s) struggled to meet - 18%
• Our storage and logistics provider(s) did not meet our needs - 4%

“The gap between expectations and provider performance is becoming more pronounced as supply chains grow more complex. Nearly half of leaders (47%) believe providers are least prepared when it comes to maintaining up-to-date technology, while 45% cite deficiencies in real-time market responsiveness,” the report states. “At the same time, expectations are expanding beyond core operational performance. These gaps have tangible consequences, as companies whose providers met all needs were more than twice as likely to report effectively meeting demand speed. As a result, logistics partnerships are increasingly being evaluated not only on capacity, but on their ability to deliver intelligence, integration, and coordinated execution to keep up with both the speed of demand and ever-shifting market dynamics. More than ever, performance differentiation is tied to technology enablement.”

Lineage said the demand for refrigerated and frozen foods continues to rise, with 72% reporting an increase.

“The findings point to a broader industry shift, with supply chain leaders indicating they want their cold chain network providers to deliver not only storage and transportation, but also the flexibility, visibility and resilience to navigate a more dynamic operating environment,” the report states. “The findings suggest that food and beverage companies are no longer treating disruption as a temporary factor and are adjusting their strategic frameworks to accommodate it. The responses also reveal how customer priorities are evolving across demand planning, technology, trade strategy and partner expectations.”