Rubenshuis
Measuring the carbon footprint of Rubenshuis
Building a multi-year GHG Protocol footprint across Rubens’ historic house, research institute and visitor centre, so climate action can be steered by evidence.
Writing a report on food loss in the perishable cold chain
More than one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted. A significant share of that loss happens not on farms or in homes, but somewhere in between. For perishable goods moving through the air cargo supply chain, the stakes are especially high: temperature excursions, handling failures, and fragmented visibility result in enormous economic, environmental, and food safety costs.
Together with the Cool Chain Association, we investigated where the system is breaking down and what it will take to fix it.
Our services
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A non-profit on a mission to eliminate waste from the cold chain
The Cool Chain Association (CCA) is a non-profit organisation that brings together all parts of the temperature-sensitive supply chain — airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers, logistics providers, and industry bodies — with a single shared goal: reduce waste and improve the quality, efficiency, and value of the global cool chain.
At its core, the CCA exists to make collaboration happen. It facilitates knowledge sharing, drives best practice initiatives, and connects a global community of professionals working on some of the most complex logistical challenges in the world from fresh produce and cut flowers to pharmaceuticals and vaccines.
Its vision is a temperature-sensitive supply chain that delivers visible, measurable results, not just for businesses, but for society as a whole. Reducing food loss and waste in the perishables sector sits at the heart of that mission.
Research insights and engaging key stakeholders
This work is grounded in a structured research methodology that combines a review of the original 2018 findings with fresh stakeholder interviews and a landscape scan of technological and regulatory developments since then.
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Revisit
We began by returning to the original 2018 findings: the systemic challenges, technological gaps, and the unmet need for harmonisation that defined the state of the industry eight years ago. We cross-referenced these with updated global food loss and waste statistics to establish what the baseline actually looks like today.
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Explore
We mapped the current innovation landscape across the cold chain, examined the real-world adoption of IoT sensors and blockchain-based traceability while assessing whether efforts toward a unified Perishable Food Standard have gained traction.
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Assess
We examined how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped perishable supply chains and the issue of food loss and waste: the collapse of belly cargo capacity, shifts in consumer behaviour, surge in data transparency tools, and the regulatory changes that followed.
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Compare
Drawing on interviews conducted across airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers, and industry bodies, we built a direct comparison between 2018 and 2026, highlighting where progress has been made, where gaps persist, and where urgent action is still needed.
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Report
The findings were compiled into a full status report, complete with stakeholder insights, updated data, and concrete recommendations for the industry.
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Influence
The ultimate goal is to continue our journey together and use the report as a gateway to push for more regulation and greater consciousness in the industry. Please reach out if you would like access to the report.
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Go-to partner for unfolding current inefficiencies
Our approach combined desk research, a structured interview programme, and close collaboration with the Cool Chain Association to ensure the findings reflected the full complexity of the perishable supply chain from the grower to the end buyer.
Working across aviation, freight forwarding, ground handling, and standards development, we designed each phase of the research to translate fragmented industry knowledge into a coherent, evidence-based picture of where food is being lost and why. Rather than a top-down analysis, our role was to surface the lived experience of the people operating within the system, building a report that is both rigorous and actionable.
The result is a comprehensive update to the CCA’s landmark food loss and waste findings since 2018 also conducted by our consultant, Philippe Schuler.
Want us to reduce food waste?
Food loss and waste in the perishable supply chain is poorly understood, inconsistently measured, and chronically underreported. We can help you find out where the losses are happening in your operations, and what it would take to reduce them.
A strong and insightful report that highlights real progress in technology and innovation, while confronting the uncomfortable truth: the main barriers are no longer technical, but systemic. To unlock the full potential, the industry must move from fragmented efforts to coordinated action. Working with Quest on this report was an excellent experience; their professionalism, reliability, and thoroughness ensured a rigorous and well-executed piece of work that delivers real value to the industry."
Stavros Envangelakakis,
Chairman
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