This volume focuses on food supply chains (FSCs), a vital component of the food system, and establishes that integrated cold chain logistics (CCL) are essential for modernising FSCs for perishable commodities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It argues that CCL should be envisioned not merely as a means to reduce food loss and waste to meet Target 12.3 of SDG12, but as an infrastructural service that enables a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive transformation of FSCs in LMICs.

It examines integrated CCL through its connections to: (a) cooling infrastructure as a developmental necessity rather than a luxury; (b) food system transformation for both climate mitigation and adaptation; (c) reliable access to safe, nutritious, affordable food, enhancing food and nutrition security; and (d) expanded agribusiness and livelihood opportunities by strengthening farm-to-market links. This comprehensive approach broadens the discourse on CCL beyond engineering and management perspectives; promotes the three pillars of sustainability - economic, environmental, and social and supports climate adaptation to foster resilient and inclusive rural transformation in LMICs.

Framed within a global context, the book explores the nexus between integrated CCL and sustainable development while engaging with evolving market dynamics, technological innovations, and emerging trends to analyse the key challenges and developmental dimensions of CCL.

From a public policy perspective, the volume introduces several novel features, including a 10S Dimensions-based analytical framework designed to promote value integration and multidimensional policy coherence; a food loss modelling approach that treats abatement levels as endogenous variables in agent-level decision-making; and a sustainability- and resilience-led governance framework.

The volume advocates investment strategies with a renewed long-term orientation to support systemic transformation amid the dual crises of climate change and the COVID-19 aftermath.

This volume is intended for a diverse community of post-harvest specialists, industry professionals, scholars, researchers, and policymakers engaged in the study and practice of perishable FSCs and their supporting infrastructure.

"This volume, Integrated Cold Chain Logistics for Food Supply Chains, offers insights. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and grounded in the realities of LMICs, the authors present a compelling case for why cold chains matter, what needs to change, and how to do it sustainably and inclusively. In doing so, they position cooling not as a luxury, but as an essential sustainable development investment for equitable and nutritious food access in a warming world."
Jessica Fanzo, Professor of Climate and Food, The Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, USA