Relating the UN Sustainable Development Goals to everyday refrigeration and HVAC work.

The first three of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are “no poverty,” “zero hunger” and “good health and well-being.” It might seem strange to start a review of refrigeration technology with these three of the 17 SDGs, but the cold chain is an essential part of the strategy to address all three of these goals.

A recent study has estimated that 20% of all harvested food is wasted before it reaches the market. In the developing world this figure is much higher; between one-third and one-half of the harvested crop. Although almost half of the total food production in the world would benefit from being refrigerated, only half of that half actually enters the cold chain. The link with the second goal, zero hunger, is obvious, but there is a more subtle factor also at work.

In 2015 just over 50% of the world’s population lived in cities, with a further 25% in suburbs and smaller towns. By the end of the century over 85% of people will be living in cities, more than double the current urban population. All of these city dwellers will not be growing their own food or exchanging with their neighbors. We are going to need a significant increase in the capability of the cold chain from its present state, especially in regions that are currently underdeveloped. Half of the increase in urban population will take place in Africa. Parts of that continent are already well served with post-harvest processing, storage and distribution facilities, but there is much more to be done. Closer to home there is a massive need to upgrade our existing, ageing infrastructure. Tighter temperature control to improve shelf life, improved performance to reduce operating costs and greater flexibility to cope with sudden changes in the market (like the onset of a global pandemic) are all areas requiring further investment and development.

And yet there is still more complexity. Zero hunger is not only about delivering sufficient quantity of food. The supply needs to be sufficiently nutritious and varied to ensure good health and well-being (the third goal). Food security, another facet of a robust cold chain, is also a factor in well-being; removing worry about where the next meal is coming from. This requires the ability to ship goods across harsh environments and under difficult conditions. The recent blockage of the Suez Canal shows how important it is to have a Plan B in the chain.

The third dimension in this picture comes from the first goal: no poverty. An effective cold chain not only prevents food from diminishing in value too fast, it can actually enhance the value of the produce and boost the local economy in previously unachievable ways. Food can be transported from areas with an overabundance and hence a depressed price, to areas of shortage where a higher price can be obtained. Crop storage can ensure that goods are available out of season for a premium price. Controlled ripening and rapid post-harvest cooling can improve product quality and further boost the price. It is well known that the best way to address extreme poverty, whether it is in some far away land or just down the street in your home town, is by creating a viable economy and giving people a purpose to work toward. Improving post-harvest cooling, storage and distribution is an excellent way to do this—but it needs to be on a broad basis as the unintended consequence of building up a good infrastructure in one area might actually be to depress produce value in the rest of the market, causing a reduction in standard of living for a part of the community.