Waterway restrictions from drought and flooding are affecting transport routes and temperature-controlled networks, reducing shelf life and increasing waste.

Traditional logistics structures are ill-suited for current climate variability, prompting real-time adjustments to supply models as trade routes are interrupted.

Survey results show high exposure to port congestion (93%), customs delays (88%), and technology failures (88%), with 94% lacking full end-to-end visibility and 79% believing they respond quickly, revealing resilience gaps.

Experts say closing resilience gaps will determine how well global food supply chains function in the coming decade, calling for earlier risk assessment, more predictable cross-border operations, and reinforced cold-chain capacity.

The report recommends expanding investment in cold-storage networks, digital visibility systems, and integrated logistics solutions to stabilize operations amid intensifying climate variability.

A new report finds climate volatility is disrupting global perishable supply chains, straining cold-chain operations and increasing waste from farm to fork.

Globally, about one-third of food produced does not reach consumers—roughly 1 billion meals daily—and over half of surveyed companies lose up to a month of productivity during disruptions.

The typical logistics incident costs around $400,000, contributing to more than $7 billion in annual losses across perishable categories.

Around 93% of perishables-handling firms faced climate-related disruptions in the past three years, with nearly half experiencing six or more events, exacerbated by port congestion, delays, and tech failures.

About one-third of firms take more than a month to recover from major events, eroding margins and boosting waste in fruit and vegetable supply chains.

Early risk assessment, more predictable regional movement, and stronger cold-chain systems are identified as essential to mitigate volatility.