Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa details how the cold chain’s efforts to practice sustainability are paying off today and laying an eco-friendly foundation for the future. 

For the first time, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) has published an Activity Report which emphasizes the essential role of refrigeration at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sysco and Cargill, two of the world's largest food companies, announced a partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that will help ranchers in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado tackle the impacts of climate change and improve grasslands and wildlife habitat by creating one of the largest sustainable beef cattle grazing efforts in the nation.

When it comes to climate change, some consumers view agriculture as a part of the solution rather than the problem. Among participants in Cargill’s recent global Feed4Thought survey, those who indicated climate change as important to them also rated livestock and agriculture lowest in negative impact compared with other industries generally regarded as significant contributors. More than one-third of respondents expressed confidence in the industry’s ability to limit its contributions to climate change.   

Heura, Europe’s fastest-growing plant-based meat brand, has withdrawn a provocative advertising campaign following legal action from the meat industry, which had taken initial measures to sue Heura after it launched a provocative campaign highlighting the pollution caused by the livestock industry entitled ‘One beef burger pollutes more than your car.’ The campaign quickly went viral, prompting major meat industry associations to sue the brand.

Fresh Del Monte Produce has announced that it has joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which aims to drive ambitious climate change action in the private sector by enabling companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets. The company joins SBTi as the first global marketer of fruits and vegetables to commit to reducing its carbon footprint to assist with limiting global warming to well below 2 °C. This commitment further showcases Fresh Del Monte Produce’s sharpened focus to operating sustainably and implementing sound, science-based practices throughout its global operations; further leading the way within the produce industry.