A range of crises and macro-economic developments are threatening global food security. This includes the effects of climate change on agricultural production, the lingering effects of the pandemic – including disrupted supply chains, inflationary pressures and rising costs, and worsening trade relations.
This is compounded by longer-term pressures already impacting food production, in particular inefficient food value chains and sometimes-fragile food logistics systems. In some parts of the world, key components of food value chains, including storage services, are underdeveloped and result in a portion of food being lost in its journey from origin to consumption.
Some of these systems are already struggling, which will only be exacerbated by the significant growth we expect to see in demand for temperature-controlled logistics in Asia Pacific. The region is home to a significant portion of the world’s population, and this population is rapidly growing and urbanising, with a rising middle class. This will drive exponential growth in the demand for temperature-controlled foods.
Here in Australia, Covid exposed the risks to our food supply chains. As the pandemic unfolded from early 2020, many staples such as mince were in short supply for a period. Similarly, the recent closure of a major cold-storage transport operator resulted in significant issues for the nation’s food logistics system, including shortages of some temperature-controlled food products.
Ensuring that people have access to safe, affordable, high-quality food is a key challenge facing the region in the coming decade, and a vital part of addressing this challenge will be ensuring we have efficient and effective food logistics systems.
One of the ways to do this is by optimising food storage – closely and accurately tracking spoilage rates and finding ways to extend the shelf life of food. We work with our customers – including large supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants where consumers source food every day – to provide temperature-controlled logistics solutions that keep their products safe and useable, and to minimise food loss or wastage.
Data collection and analysis is part of this effort, helping to manage and enhance perishable food storage by improving visibility around product shelf lives. The development of new technologies is another key component – helping us to maximise how long food remains fit for human consumption through processes and technology like optimised blast freezing processes and tailored refrigeration systems.
We have a cross-functional team of scientists, engineers, and technologists who are always looking for new solutions to increase efficiency and broaden the capabilities of our cold chain. For example, concerns were raised around lengthy blast freezing times that were driving up energy costs and increasing processing times for cases of perishable food products. In response, Lineage’s team developed new designs for a blast freezer and product packaging to reduce freeze times by up to 50 per cent and increase the daily capacity of each blast-freezer.
Because food insecurity, food waste and sustainability are closely linked, another key component of minimising food waste is redirecting food away from landfills. Food that is still fit for human consumption but not for sale — such as foods disqualified from retail distribution by damaged packaging or an ‘ugly’ appearance — can often be repurposed through charitable donations to food relief organisations. At later points in its lifecycle, products may be repurposed in pet and animal feed, compost, or biofuel generators.
Globally, for us this effort is spearheaded by the Lineage Foundation for Good, a public charity registered in the US, with the mission to reduce food waste and fight food insecurity by developing a real-time global link between those who commercially produce our food and the individuals, families, and communities who need it most.
In Australia, we primarily do this by identifying secondary food channels to support those in need across the communities in which we operate.
Lineage has a long-term relationship with FareShare, the Australian not-for-profit food rescue organisation. This relationship was born out of the efforts to get food to people during the 2022 Brisbane floods, when the Lineage team found themselves going to extraordinary measures to get food where it needed to go – including via kayak to stranded communities.
Now, Lineage partners with FareShare across multiple sites and in every state where it operates, supporting with financial and food donations, providing free storage space, and volunteering the time and specialised skills of our Lineage warehouse teams.
All of this helps to minimise the amount of food that is wasted and sent to landfills. This has significant positive environmental impacts as food waste that goes to landfill generates significant emissions. The UN has estimated that 931 million tonnes of food is thrown away each year worldwide, and that 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.
In Australia, we produce around 100kg of household food waste per capita each year. The Australian Government estimates that food waste costs the Australian economy around $36.6 billion each year, and 25 per cent of water used in agriculture to grow food is ultimately wasted.
The agricultural and food industries are already working to reduce the emissions generated in the production of our food supply. And the food logistics industry, particularly temperature-controlled logistics - where the risk of spoilage is higher – plays an essential role in making sure that food gets to the people that need it with minimal waste.
Reducing food waste by extending food lifecycles, improving delivery, donating unused food, and repurposing inedible food – all helps create a more sustainable food chain.
Morris Guest is regional vice president, Australia at Lineage Logistics APAC. Lineage is one of the world’s most innovative temperature-controlled industrial REIT and a leading provider of temperature-controlled logistics solutions with a network of more than 400 facilities across 20 countries, including within the APAC region.
