ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 13, 2010 – The World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), a Core Partner of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) and FrigiPak Pakistan have entered into a joint effort, the Pakistan Cold Chain Assessment, to evaluate the feasibility of developing a sustainable Cold Chain in Pakistan. The partners have received a $392,328 grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to support the project.

WFLO is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to improving the storage, transportation, and handling of perishable goods throughout the globe. WFLO has undertaken similar assessments in other nations, and has implemented projects in some of the most remote corners of the world, leading to viable improvements in the farm-to-market flow of goods.

FrigiPak Pakistan was formed by two successful Pakistani entrepreneurs who have joined together to lead this project forward. The partners have arranged and managed the financing of numerous projects around the world, in sectors ranging from private power to real estate.

The Pakistan Cold Chain Assessment will focus on issues of cold storage infrastructure, technological availability, postharvest capabilities, and economic strengths and weakness. The assessment will also identify locations for potential investment and positive fiscal returns in the cold chain. The effort will begin with an exhaustive desktop review of past and current projects in Pakistan, followed by an intensive in-country assessment of five geographic locations.

The Pakistan Horticulture Education, Extension and Training System estimates that 20-40 percent of perishable products are lost before they can be consumed, mainly due to high rates of bruising, water loss, rancidity, and spoilage, during postharvest handling (Ibrahim and Anwar, 2004). The postharvest cold chain includes all the steps between harvesting and consumption, including sorting, cleaning, packing, storage, transport, and processing of perishable products.
The assessment will examine the existing cold chain in Pakistan, including the technical assistance and commercial development needed to improve postharvest handling. The findings and conclusions of the assessment will be documented in a final report, which will include recommendations on needs for technical assistance as well as opportunities for future investment.

This assessment will facilitate the creation of a critical path to addressing critical postharvest issues that will lead to the development of a sustainable cold chain in Pakistan, and will improve the competitiveness of the Pakistani agricultural sector in the global market.

For more information, please contact rtracy@gcca.org.

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Comprising Core Partners, including the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, the World Food Logistics Organization, the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration, the International Refrigerated Transportation Association, and the International Association for Cold Storage Construction, the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics. GCCA unites partners to facilitate communication, networking, and education for the perishable food industry. For more information about GCCA, visit www.gcca.org.