UN Food Waste Day: Collaborative cold chain projects helping to tackle global food loss

The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) is recognizing this year’s UN International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (29 September 2025) by celebrating their ongoing collaboration in establishing and developing temperature-controlled storage and transportation networks.

Expanding cold chain networks are reducing post-harvest food loss around the world. A 2024 University of Michigan study found that nearly half of global food waste could be eliminated by fully refrigerated food supply chains worldwide.

Global Cold Chain Alliance President & CEO Sara Stickler said: “The cold chain plays a fundamental role in reducing food waste and loss around the globe, and will be key to sustainable, resilient food supply chains in the decades to come. The immense benefits of temperature-controlled logistics can be increased further and felt more widely: we are proud to be working with a range of GCCA members and partners to help establish vital cold chain networks in emerging economies, and to build on food waste prevention initiatives in developed markets. Collaborations between cold chain operators, the food industry, governments, regional development agencies and charities are facilitating vitally important projects to minimize food loss and waste around the world.”

To mark today’s international awareness day, GCCA is highlighting a number of its Global Cold Chain Foundation (GCCF) projects currently underway, showcasing how collaboration is establishing and improving temperature-controlled logistics services.

These projects are helping to create food supply chains that minimize food loss and improve the availably of safe, quality food.

Central America: GCCF programs in Central America include collaborative partnerships to provide specialist training to cold chain operators, processors and inspectors to help minimize loss of high value horticultural produce.

West Africa: the West Africa Emerging Markets Program sees GCCF partner with GCCA members specializing in cold chain logistics, refrigerated warehousing and design build, to provide assessments, technical training and ongoing mentorship to temperature-controlled logistics operators in West Africa. The program seeks to increase the trade of perishable products, reduce food waste, and improve the quality of food in the region.

Food Banks: GCCF cooperates with GCCA members to provide guidance and training for cold chain operators on supporting local food banks, to help further minimize food waste and support food banks’ objectives; as well as working with GCCA members to pilot the STOR smartphone app (Storage Through Organized Refrigeration) to connect food supply agencies with the owners of cold storage space. GCCF is also partnering with Michael’s Energy, University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton School of Business, and Feeding America, on a new project funded by the Danone Institute North America (DINA) to support energy efficiency practices that will allow food banks to reallocate energy savings toward other crucial initiatives.