Cool Chain Association to Host Perishables Event at Europe’s Largest Food Hub Fresh Park Venlo

The Cool Chain Association (CCA) will host its Fifth Global Perishables Event at Europe’s largest fresh and food hub at Venlo, the Netherlands, on 14th and 15th of May 2019, with a focus on how the airfreight supply chain can help reduce food loss.

Waste-to-energy solutions, the importance of standards in the cool chain, and collaboration with blockchain, are just some of the topics to be debated at the two-day event, which will also include a tour of the Fresh Park Venlo facilities.

CCA recently announced the launch of a pilot data sharing initiative to monitor shipments of commodities such as avocados and berries on trade lanes from Latin America to Europe and from the USA to the Middle East.

The data will be analysed by Food Waste Prevention Consultant and CCA Researcher Philippe Schuler, who will present preliminary results on the first day of the CCA event next month.

“Our Global Perishables Conference will bring together thought leaders from across the temperature-controlled supply chain to discuss innovative ways to work together to help reduce food loss,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman of the Cool Chain Association and Global Product Manager Healthcare and Perishables, Cargolux.

“With a third of the world’s food going to waste it is important that, from grower to consumer, we all contribute to taking action.

“Our perishables event will provide a networking platform for change as well as an opportunity for delegates to see first-hand Europe’s largest fresh hub in operation.”

Speakers at the event will also include the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Andrea Gruber, Head, Special Cargo, who will present IATA’s new Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Fresh Program, aimed at perishable supply chain stakeholders.

CCA Board member Vijan Chetty, General Manager, Coastal, Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB), South Africa will discuss the importance of standards, with Philippe Julien, Digital Innovation Director at Air France KLM Martinair Cargo looking at how blockchain can help with collaborative workflows.

Day two of the event will include a Venlo site visit, as well as a presentation on what happens with food once it is waste, introduced by Saskia Louwen Pérez Project Manager for Waste-to-Energy Projects at ARCHEA New Energy GmbH and a talk on insurance and certification in the cool food chain by Wolfgang Engel, Head of Competence Sector Logistics at DSQ inc.  

The 130 hectare Fresh Park Venlo is home to over 100 companies involved directly or indirectly in the business of fresh produce or food, including wholesalers, processing companies, logistics providers, and packing companies.

“Venlo is a strategic location, with four modal connections, including road, rail, barge, and air between the mainports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, a food production area, and close to the German and European Union markets,” said Jan Vorstermans,, Business Development, Fresh Park Venlo.

“We are pleased to be hosting the CCA event and to have the opportunity of showcasing our facilities.”

CCA hosts two events per year, with one focused on perishables and one on pharma issues. The Seventh CCA Pharma and Biosciences Event takes place in Paris, France, 23rd to 24th September 2019.