The Impact of Value-Chain Collaborations on Energy Efficiency in the Cold Chain: An Overview

This study investigates collaborations along the value chain in the food sector, aiming to identify opportunities for improving energy efficiency (EE). The focus is on the cold chain, one of the most energy-intensive segments of the food and beverage industry, whose potential for energy savings and related economic benefits remains largely untapped. After outlining the various types of value chain collaborations, the study reviews the literature on current approaches to enhancing EE, with particular attention to refrigerated transport and storage—the phases with the highest energy demand. Proposed actions to improve EE are then presented, detailing their intensity and the challenges to collaboration among different actors, while also highlighting both energy and non-energy benefits (NEBs). In particular, high-intensity collaborative measures may face greater implementation barriers but can generate more substantial benefits, as they operate across the entire value chain rather than targeting individual actors.