ShareChina’s expanding cold chain
According to a recent New York Times article on the cold chain in China, the country had less than 7.1 million m3 of refrigerated storage capacity in 2007 but is on track to having 20 times that by 2017.
According to a recent New York Times article on the cold chain in China, the country had less than 7.1 million m3 of refrigerated storage capacity in 2007 but is on track to having 20 times that by 2017. At 142 million m3 of cold storage, the country would surpass the United States, and even that figure translates into a mere 0.10 m3/capita.
Currently, less than 25% of the meat in China is slaughtered, transported, stored or sold under refrigeration while produce is 15%. The country suffers from a considerable amount of food waste as nearly half of everything grown in China (i.e. over USD 32bn) rots before it reaches the retail market.
However, things are set to change fast. The Chinese only built their first refrigerated warehouse in 1955, but in recent years, urbanization, rising GDP, and government support caused demand for refrigeration services to rise by over 30% annually in China’s major cities.
The government is also hoping to prevent food waste thanks to its Development Plan for Cold-Chain Logistics of Agricultural Products. The plan has a five-year goal to reduce loss rates of vegetable, meat and aquatic products to less than 15%, 8% and 10% respectively by 2015.
The article goes on to discuss the potential environmental consequences of the Chinese cold chain development and even suggests maintaining other, non-refrigeration based traditional means of preservation in order to mitigate the environmental impact and preserve China’s rich and varied culinary tradition.
New York Times July 25, 2014
Currently, less than 25% of the meat in China is slaughtered, transported, stored or sold under refrigeration while produce is 15%. The country suffers from a considerable amount of food waste as nearly half of everything grown in China (i.e. over USD 32bn) rots before it reaches the retail market.
However, things are set to change fast. The Chinese only built their first refrigerated warehouse in 1955, but in recent years, urbanization, rising GDP, and government support caused demand for refrigeration services to rise by over 30% annually in China’s major cities.
The government is also hoping to prevent food waste thanks to its Development Plan for Cold-Chain Logistics of Agricultural Products. The plan has a five-year goal to reduce loss rates of vegetable, meat and aquatic products to less than 15%, 8% and 10% respectively by 2015.
The article goes on to discuss the potential environmental consequences of the Chinese cold chain development and even suggests maintaining other, non-refrigeration based traditional means of preservation in order to mitigate the environmental impact and preserve China’s rich and varied culinary tradition.
New York Times July 25, 2014