To support the development of a modern cold chain in Kazakhstan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs Activity in Central Asia co-organized an inaugural networking event last week in cooperation with the KAZLOGISTICS Union of Transport Workers of Kazakhstan and the DAMU Logistics Group of companies.
Kazakhstan is a net importer of food and a major transit country for both regional and global food trade. Maintaining a temperature controlled cold chain protects the consumer by improving product quality and ensuring food safety and is critical for reliable and secure cross border trade. Enhancing the effectiveness of the cold chain will improve the business competitiveness of Kazakhstan, create jobs and stimulate investment.
This networking event aimed to bring together more than sixty local cold chain operators and transport and logistics companies to exchange information and experience and discuss challenges in the industry. In most regional markets, companies involved in the cold chain form associations that bring together diverse businesses to promote the cold chain within the private sector and to governments.
Key sessions of the event were facilitated by experts from the Global Cold Chain Alliance, an organization working to promote and develop regional associations worldwide including in Europe, Africa, China, India and the Philippines.
USAID’s Competitiveness, Trade and Jobs Activity in Central Asia is working across the region to facilitate the development of the cold chain by addressing training needs, amplifying the industry’s policy concerns and co-investing through an Innovation Facility in innovative ideas to strengthen the cold chain, increase exports and create new jobs.
