With around 14% of food worldwide [1] lost due to a lack of effective refrigeration, enough to feed one billion people, global engineering firm Danfoss is calling for more attention to be given to establishing sustainable and energy-efficient cold chain infrastructure.
Speaking at the IEA’s Conference, Astrid Mozes, President, Regions, Danfoss.
The requirement for investments in sustainable cold chains is especially evident in sub-Saharan Africa where up to 40% of food is lost [2] between farms and markets, with two-thirds of this in the first mile.
The need to spur global action on energy efficiency was in focus at the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) recent 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya in May.
Increasing temperatures, population growth, urbanisation and rising incomes are driving the greater need for cooling. According to the first Global Cooling Watch Report [3] launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at last year’s COP28, cooling demand could triple by 2050. This would lead to a doubling of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which is equivalent to more than the total annual greenhouse gas emissions of the United States of America today.
The same report shows that driving efficiency in the cold chain and refrigeration through minimum energy performance standards and passive cooling can deliver 30% of the required energy savings by 2050, and significantly reduce food loss and waste. This large energy saving is based on the 24-hour year-round operation of refrigeration.
Speaking at the IEA’s Conference, Astrid Mozes, President, Regions, Danfoss said: “The good news is that near zero emission cooling is possible. Emissions in 2050 could be cut by 97%, using readily available technology, including state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies. Kenya is one country where sustainable business models and financing solutions are key to delivering sustainable and reliable cold chains.”
The Loss2Value Project [4] in Kenya, launched by Danish Church Aid and Danfoss, is an example of important work being done in the country to establish a secure cold chain. The project’s objective is to reduce post-harvest losses by emphasising the concrete value of energy-efficient cold storage to smallholder farmers and traders in Kenya and creating the ecosystem to make it a sustainable business case.
By implementing sustainable business models and financing solutions, the initiative is empowering small and medium sized enterprises and farmers to make positive change. The initiative addresses the immediate challenges and contributes to creating a lasting and resilient impact on the agricultural landscape in Kenya.
References
[3] Global Cooling Watch Report
For more information visit: www.danfoss.com
