On September 20th the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transition, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Ozone Secretariat will host an event that will put a spot light on the critical role of sustainable cold chains in ensuring food safety and security, reducing food waste and loss, mitigating climate change and preventing the depletion of the ozone layer; in deep connection with the Montreal Protocol, its Kigali Amendment and its Rome Declaration on Sustainable Cold Chain Development.
AREA President Marco Buoni, who’s further the Secretary General of ATF (Italian Association of RAC Technicians) and Director General of Centro Studi Galileo, will take part in the Summit to testify the key role that the HVAC/R Sector and the Cold Chain play – and must have – to guarantee that food distribution always happens in the safest, most efficient and sustainable way possible.
Mr Buoni’s speech will be titled: “Progress at industry level, focusing on servicing sector trainings – the experience in the European Union.”
September 20th, 2 – 5 pm
To register, please click on https://bit.ly/UN_FoodSystemSummit
More information on the event is available at this link.
AREA, the European association of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) contractors, was established in 1989 and voices the interests of 24 national associations from 21 countries, representing 13,000 companies employing 110,000 people and with an annual turnover approaching € 23 billion.
The Food Systems Summit is organized by the Ministry of Ecological Transition of Italy, Ozone Secretariat to the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with support of the Cool Coalition, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, OzonAction Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme.
The event will demonstrate how the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, universally ratified multilateral environmental agreement, its Kigali Amendment and the Rome Declaration on the “Contribution of the Montreal Protocol to a Food Loss Reduction through Sustainable Cold Chain Development” that was endorsed at the 31st Meeting of the Parties (MOP31) in November 2019 can contribute to scaling up of technological and policy solutions for sustainable cold chains, including by enhanced international cooperation among relevant stakeholders at all levels.
In 2011, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization FAO estimated that around one third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted annually. This amounts to a staggering estimated financial loss of about $940 billion and it creates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of about 4.4 gigatonnes CO2-eq per year, which is about 8% of the total global emissions of GHGs.
Delivering food from farm to consumer safely requires a suitable temperature-controlled environment. Various stages that a refrigerated food product passes through to its destination – connecting the harvested produce with its intended consumer – is referred to as the cold chain. Connecting farmers’ and fishers’ produce efficiently and effectively with consumers not only reduces food loss but has a positive impact on the economics of small-holder producers, by opening connectivity to new markets and increasing income opportunities.
Many cold-chain systems use high-GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerants and grid electricity. To mitigate potential climate-warming impacts of the cooling sector, new, sustainable cold-chain systems that are high in efficiency, safe, and use low or zero-GWP refrigerants and renewable energy sources need to be developed. Game changing and systemic approaches also need to be considered. Energy efficient, ozone and climate-friendly cold chains can help ensure nutritious and healthy food for all. (Source: MiTE, FAO and Ozone Secretariat Concept Note – Event Overview; Agenda)