Paris, 12 May 2022 ‒ To celebrate World Refrigeration Day, June 26, UNEP OzonAction, the Secretariat of Word Refrigeration Day (WRD), Chefs4thePlanet, and the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) are partnering to raise the profile and awareness about the essential role of cooling in protecting human health and the planet. The Cooling Keeps Food Fresh campaign will describe why cooling is necessary for food safety and how it supports nutritious diets that sustain our health, help reduce food loss and waste, and protect the environment.
Leading chefs from around the world have signed on to the campaign thanks to Chefs4thePlanet organization, the new partner joining this year’s campaign. They will explain how cooling is necessary for their locally inspired cuisine. The chefs’ recipes will be accompanied by tips for consumers on the cooling choices they can make in their homes to save money, prolong the life of products, and understand how food waste and loss contribute to climate change.
During the campaign, chefs from various regions of the world will deliver video messages, reinforcing their commitment to maintaining a planet sustainable for human life and describing how cooling contributes to day-to-day cooking and their kitchens’ operations.
According to estimates compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), by 2050 we will need to produce 60 per cent more food to feed a world population of 9.3 billion. The truth is that the way we produce, process, distribute, and consume our food is profligate. Roughly one-third of all the food produced in the world for human consumption every year -- approximately 1.3 billion tonnes -- is lost or wasted. Avoiding food loss will lead to more efficient use of land and water, positively impacting biodiversity.
The contributions of cooling to our health and the environment extend much further. Freezing fruits and vegetables within hours of being harvested at their peak ripeness, locks in nutrients and flavours. Cooling also reduces one of the largest contributors to climate change - the emission of greenhouse gases from food that is lost due to spoilage and waste. Reducing food loss would feed greater numbers of undernourished people and advance climate protection. In addition, the wise selection and operation of cooling technology contributes significantly to the protection of the ozone layer and combating climate change.
Further details and resources about the campaign will be shared shortly.
Contact person:
Ayman Eltalouny
Coordinator International Partnerships
Email: ayman.eltalouny@un.org
About the Organizers:
World Refrigeration Day was founded in 2019 as an international initiative that raises awareness of cooling’s benefits and inspires development and adoption of innovative and sustainable cooling solutions by the public, governments, industry, and practitioners for the well-being of future generations. Activities take place on and around June 26 annually to commemorate the birthdate, in 1824, of scientist William Thomson, known as Lord Kelvin, the formulator of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The Kelvin thermodynamic temperature scale is based on his work where zero reflects the complete absence of thermal energy.
UNEP OzonAction is an Implementing Agency of the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. OzonAction’s goal is to enable developing countries to meet and sustain their compliance obligations under the treaty.
Chefs4thePlanet is an international coalition dedicated to climate action, the protection of biodiversity and the environment, and the fight against food waste. It supports the transition towards organic agriculture and short food circuits and the love of good things shared between generations, friends and cultures.
Global Food Cold Chain Council is an independent not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to simultaneously reduce food waste and related greenhouse gas emissions in the processing, transportation, storage, and retail display of cold food by expanding and improving access to energy-efficient low-global warming potential technology.
