A significant share of the food produced worldwide is lost before it reaches consumers. According to an assessment published by FAO in March 2026, approximately 526 million tons of food are lost or wasted each year due to inadequate refrigeration infrastructure, equivalent to around 12% of the global total. This makes the cold chain more than just a logistics operation, positioning it as a strategic area at the intersection of food security, resource efficiency, and climate action.
From farm to table, a food product moves through a long value chain that relies on a wide range of resources, including water, energy, land, labor, and transportation. If the product is lost before being consumed, all the resources used in its production are wasted as well.
According to FAO data, 13.2% of food worldwide is lost after harvest, before it reaches the retail stage. This is compounded by an additional 19% of food waste at the retail, food service, and household levels. Food loss and waste are estimated to be responsible for approximately 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore, the debate on sustainable food systems now focuses not only on increasing production, but also on protecting the food that is already produced.
The New Role of the Cold Chain
The cold chain maintains the temperature required by products throughout the entire process, from harvest and pre-cooling to storage, transportation, and distribution. This helps reduce spoilage while preserving product quality, safety, and shelf life.
However, the solution is not simply to create more cooling capacity. Since cooling systems consume significant amounts of energy, the next-generation cold chain approach brings together energy-efficient equipment, real-time temperature monitoring, the use of renewable energy where possible, and technologies compatible with next-generation refrigerants with lower environmental impact, such as R1234yf. UNEP also identifies sustainable cold chains as an area with the potential to protect producer incomes and create employment while reducing food loss and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Responsibility of Logistics Extends Beyond Product Transportation
Even minor temperature deviations in the cold chain can have a considerable impact on product quality and shelf life. In this context, sustainable logistics goes beyond transporting products from one point to another and involves preserving their economic and physical value throughout the journey.
Reliable cold chain infrastructure is particularly important for fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, and other temperature-sensitive cargo, strengthening the link between producers and global markets while helping to reduce food loss.
From this perspective, reefer transportation demonstrates that the environmental impact of logistics is not limited to the energy consumed during transportation. Preventing product loss is also an important part of the system’s overall environmental performance.
Arkas Line’s Next-Generation Reefer Technology
One reflection of this global transformation at Arkas can be seen in Arkas Line’s reefer fleet. In 2026, Arkas Line added 500 new reefer containers to its fleet. Equipped with energy-efficient cooling units, these containers were designed to be compatible with the use of next-generation R1234yf refrigerant, which has a lower environmental impact. With this investment, improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact are becoming an important part of temperature-controlled transportation, alongside strengthening product safety and operational capacity.