Cold Link Africa January / February 2020 | Page 19

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
MOP 31: Reducing food waste
through cold chain
By Ilana Koegelenberg
The 31st Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP 31), held in November last year in
Rome, Italy, discussed key cooling-related climate issues such as fostering sustainable cold chains, reducing
food waste, and improving access to energy-efficient and low-GWP technologies for developing nations.
T
Italian Undersecretary of State, Ministry
of the Environment, Land and Sea,
stated that the Montreal Protocol is
an “inspiration for a transition to a
sustainable world.”
René Castro-Salazar, assistant
director-general, Climate, Biodiversity,
Land, and Water Development of
FAO, stressed the urgency for countries
to work together to reduce food
he MOP event takes place annually
to consider and decide on issues
put forward by the Open-Ended
Working Group of the Parties (OEWGP).
MOP 31 convened last year at the
headquarters of the United Nations (UN)
Food and Agriculture Organization
(FOA) in Rome, Italy.
In his opening remarks during the
preparatory segment, Roberto Morassut,
The MOP 31 conference looked at creating sustainable resources to reduce food waste.
COLD LINK AFRICA •
January/February 2020
waste, noting it would be possible for
“current food production to feed the
entire world if waste was eliminated.”
Tina Birmpili, executive secretary,
Ozone Secretariat, underscored the
importance of energy efficiency for
cold chains and food security.
SUMMARY OF KEY TOPICS
COVERED AT MOP 31:
Sustainable cold chains key to solving
world hunger
Qu Dongyu, FOA director general,
highlighted the impact that the
sustainable food chain can have on
agriculture and food production. He
reiterated that there are clear benefits
to phasing down HFCs and lamented
the prevalence of plastic pollution in
the agriculture industry. Dongyu stated
environmentally friendly practices are a
necessity for the agricultural sector.
Jim Walker, Sustainable Energy for All
(SEAll), who moderated the discussion
on sustainable cold chain development,
asked panellists what actions are
needed to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), which
contribute to a sustainable cold chain.
Castro-Salazar stressed the urgency of
scaling up successful pilot projects and
facilitating coordination between the
UN and industry. Inger Andersen, UNEP
executive director, stressed the creation
of norms and standards and mentioned
the Cool Coalition, launched in 2019.
Individual nations also commented on
the cold chain:
• India described India’s Cooling Action
Plan and recent legislation to increase
farmers’ income by improving cold
chains. 
• Malawi lamented the partial
coverage of cold chain infrastructure
in rural Malawi. 
• Maldives stressed the importance
of an unbroken cold chain for
population health and tourism since
almost all food is imported through
Maldives’ central port and then
distributed across its 190 islands.
• Morassut noted that Italy is set to
adopt tax incentives to encourage
new technology development and
job creation. 
• Mexico noted that improved cold
chains have helped decrease food
waste two-fold and create 12 000
jobs and facilitated integration with
international markets.
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