文献翻译燕飞

文献翻译燕飞 宁波大红鹰学院 毕业论文外文翻译 所在学院: 经济与管理学院 专 业: 工商管理 班 级: 11工商8班 :学 号 1131080835 姓 名 : 燕飞 指导教师: 麻黎黎 2014 年 11 月 1 日 译文一: 我国的冷链物流市场及其发展策略 来源:互联网 作者:邓汝春 [论文摘要] 冷藏商品大多是我们的日常消费品,包括:禽蛋类、肉及肉制品类、水产品类、果蔬类、奶业与冷饮类、医药类等。近年来,随着我国经济的发展和人民生活水平的提高,冷藏商品的消费量越来越大。与冷藏商品密切相关的冷链物流发展非常迅速,但总体来说,冷链物流的发展仍然跟不上市场的需求。 一、冷藏运输市场的现状及发展策略 近几年来,我国的肉、蛋、奶、水产、果蔬等每年增产10%以上,其中75%为易腐食品,这些易腐货物主要靠铁路和公路运输。目前我国公路冷藏运输的运量占总的冷藏运量的25%,我国现拥有各式冷藏汽车6万余辆,冷藏车年生产能力 左右。因此,4000余辆。我国的铁路冷藏车共有5400多辆,能满足全国运量的50%我国的冷藏运输市场总体来说是供不应求的。但是应该注意的是,我国的冷藏运输市场也存在着设备落后、运输质量较低、社会化程度不高、损耗大成本高的特点。 针对我国冷藏运输的市场现状,物流企业在进行冷藏运输市场营销时,应该 第一,传统运输企业应积极发展冷藏运输业务。对公路运输企业采用如下的策略: 来说,在运输供给相对过剩,运输利润越来越低的情况下,发展冷藏运输是明智的选择,只要加强市场营销力度,前程广阔。第二,实行专业化的发展策略。物流企业在发展冷藏运输业务时,一定要走专业化的道路,购置良好的冷藏运输设备、招用专业化的人才、提供专业化的冷运服务。第三,走合作化的经营之路。在进行冷藏运输市场营销时,要重点发展大客户,并与大客户进行深度合作,提高冷藏运 1 输的规模、效率的质量。 二、冷库行业的现状及发展策略 我国自1955年开始建造第一座贮藏肉制品冷库,1968年建成第一座贮藏水果冷库,1978年建成第一座气调库到现在,冷库的发展经历了好几个阶段。据统计,全国现有冷冻冷藏能力已达500 多万吨,其中外资、中外合资和私营冷库约占50 万吨,国有冷库450 多万吨,分属于内贸、农业、外贸和轻工系统。我国的仓库主要还是集中在一些大些的商业企业,主要存在着冷库的利用率偏低、设备落后、营运和市场营销水平低、技术安全不到位的问。 因此,冷库行业的市场发展策略主要有以下几点:第一,全面改造现有冷库,提高冷库的技术水平。第二,积极、主动拓展市场,加强市场营销力度。我国的冷库利用率偏低,原因不是供过于求,而是供求信息的不对称。因此,冷库企业应该积极走出去,利用现代营销的渠道、方法、策略开拓市场。第三,提高冷库操作水平,降低货损损差和其它安全事故。第四,在主营冷库业务的同时,创造条件,提供运输、配送、流通加工、信息处理等其它物流服务,把冷库建设成现代化的冷藏配送中心。这是冷库行业的发展方向,也是其市场营销战略。 三、冷链物流市场的整体发展策略 上面分别分析了冷藏运输与冷库企业的现状及市场营销策略,但总体来说,中国的冷链物流市场是一个巨大的市场,其市场潜力非常之大。据专门研究和考察全球冷藏食品供应链市场的一些美国专家估计,目前中国食品年供应量总额为1500亿美元,到2017年将达到6500亿美元,年均增长率为17%。在这种情况下,从宏观的角度来看,我们有必要建立我国冷链物流市场的整体营销策略。根据发达国家的经验看,冷链物流市场的整体营销策略主要有两个,一是社会化运作策 2 略,二是企业运作策略。 1.社会化发展策略 政府或企业部门规划的冷链物流中心或社会化运作是指某个地区某个城市, 冷货批发市场。在这个市场或中心里结集了大量的冷货生产企业、批发市场、零售企业、冷库企业、冷运企业,甚至大量的个体经营户。 由于冷链物流的低温特点,物流企业单独建立冷链物流中心,投资成本高,而且回收期较长。而因为冷链食品的特点相同,社会整个冷链物流业应该联合起来,共同建立冷链物流配送中心,实现冷链物流业的共同配送。 社会化运作是经过长期的发展和探索优化出的一种追求合理化的配送形式,也是美国、日本等一些发达国家采用较为广泛、影响面较大的一种先进的物流方式,它对提高物流运作效率、降低物流成本具有重要意义。 2.企业运作策略 企业运作模式是指第三方物流企业与冷货生产企业或冷货流通企业共同运作冷链物流。在这个模式下,冷链物流运作的主体是企业,根据组成冷链物流的企业类型的不同,又分成以下三种情况: (1)是冷货生产企业与第三方物流企业的合作。这种策略是利用冷货生产企业的货源,同时又有效利用第三方物流企业,实现冷链物流业务的。比如麦当劳餐厅的冷链物流则是以外包方式完全包给第三方物流企业即夏晖公司。夏晖公司与麦当劳餐厅的冷链物流运作策略是物流行业的一个成功典范。 (2)是冷货流通企业与第三方物流企业的合作。目前,随着人民生活水平的提高,市场上冷藏食品的需求量越来越大。一些大些的商业企业,尤其是连锁商业企业,其冷藏物流的需求量越来越大。鉴于冷藏物流市场的区域性和时效性特点明 3 显,物流企业可以考虑在沿海发达城市,面向连锁超市、卖场等企业,以已经运做普通物流配送项目为基础,实施专业冷藏物流区域配送服务。 (3)是第三方物流企业的合作。目前,现有的冷藏物流服务商多为小企业,资金、经验以及管理运作水平到有待提高,但是他们在成长的过程中,大多积累了一定的冷藏物流基础设施资源和特定的客户群。有实力的物流企业可以充分利用自身的品牌、资金、管理和网络优势,与他们开展多方位的合作,特别是在冷藏物流项目的不同环节上,在双方不断获得经济效益的同时,通过自身能力整合合作伙伴的现有资源,共同壮大,形成独立的第三方冷藏物流服务品牌。 4 原文一: China's cold chain logistics market and its development strategy Material Source: Internet Author:Ruchun Deng [Abstract] frozen most of goods in our daily consumer goods, including eggs, meat and meat products category, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables, dairy and cold drinks, medicine and so on. In recent years, as China's economic development and people's living standards, consumption of frozen goods is growing. Closely related goods and refrigerated cold chain logistics is developing rapidly, but, overall, the development of cold chain logistics is still not keep up with market demand. First, the refrigerated transportation market situation and development strategyIn recent years, China's meat, eggs, milk, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables such as more than 10% increase per year, of which 75% of perishable food. The perishable goods mainly by rail and road transport. At present the volume of road transport refrigeration refrigerated volume of total 25%, China now has all kinds of refrigerated vehicles more than 6 vehicles, refrigerated trucks annual production capacity of 4,000 vehicles. Total railway refrigerator cars of more than 5400 vehicles, to meet about 50% of the national volume. Therefore, our refrigerated transport market in general is in short supply. But it should be noted that the refrigerated transport market in China there are also outdated facilities, low quality of transport, social level is not high, loss of high-cost and high View of the refrigerated transportation market situation, the logistics enterprises in marketing, refrigerated transport, it should adopt the following strategy. First, the traditional transport enterprises should actively develop the refrigerated transport business. On road transport enterprises, the relative excess supply in the transport, transportation, more and more cases of low profits, the development of refrigerated transport is a wise choice, as long as strengthen marketing efforts, prospects are bright. Second, the implementation of professional development strategies. Logistics enterprises in the development of refrigerated transport business, must follow the road of specialization, the purchase of a good refrigerated transport equipment, hire professional talent, providing specialized transportation services to the cold. Third, take the road of 5 co-operative business. Marketing during the refrigerated transport, we should focus on the development of major clients, and depth of cooperation with major customers, increase the size of refrigerated transport, efficiency, quality. Second, the cold storage industry status and development strategy Since 1955 China began building the first cold storage of meat products, built in 1968 the first fruit cold storage, built in 1978, the first cold storage to the present, the development of cold storage has gone through several stages. According to statistics, the existing refrigeration capacity has reached more than 500 tons, of which foreign investment, joint ventures and private cold storage of about 50 million tons, more than 450 state-owned cold storage tons, belonging to domestic trade, agriculture, trade and light industry. Our warehouse is mainly concentrated in larger commercial enterprises, mainly in the low utilization of cold storage, outdated facilities, the low level of operations and marketing, technical security problem is not in placeTherefore, the cold storage industry's market development strategy are the following points. First, the comprehensive transformation of the existing cold storage, cold storage to improve the technical level. Second, positive and proactive market development and strengthen marketing efforts. China's cold storage utilization is low, not because of oversupply, but the supply of information asymmetry. Therefore, companies should actively go out cold, the use of modern marketing channels, methods, strategies to develop the market. Third, raise the level of cold storage operations, reduce cargo damage loss difference and other security incidents. Fourth, in the main cold storage business, and create conditions for the provision of transport, distribution, circulation, processing, information processing and other logistics services, the cold storage building into a modern refrigerated distribution centers. This is the direction of development of cold storage industry, as well as their marketing strategy. Third, the cold chain logistics market's overall development strategy The above analysis were refrigerated transport and cold storage business situation and marketing strategy, but, overall, China's cold chain logistics market is a huge market, its market potential is enormous. According to specialized research and study the global frozen food supply chain market, some U.S. experts estimate that China's food supply of a 6 total of 150 billion U.S. dollars by 2017 will reach 650 billion U.S. dollars, average annual growth rate of 17%. In this case, from a macro perspective, we need to establish the cold chain logistics market in China's overall marketing strategy. According to experiences of developed countries, cold chain logistics market as a whole there are two main marketing strategies, one strategy for social functioning, and second, business operations strategy1. Social Development StrategyIs a social operation to a city, government or corporate sector cold chain logistics center planning or cold goods wholesale market. Center in this market or a cluster of a large number of cold goods manufacturers, wholesale and retail businesses, cold storage companies, transport companies cold, or even a large number of individual businesses Low-temperature characteristics of the cold chain logistics, cold chain logistics companies to establish a logistics center alone, the investment cost, but also a longer recovery period. And because the same characteristics of the food cold chain, cold chain logistics industry in the whole society should join hands to establish the cold chain logistics and distribution centers, cold chain logistics industry to achieve a common distribution Operation is the result of long-term social development and exploration of an optimized form of the pursuit of rationalization of the distribution, but also the United States, Japan and other developed countries to adopt a more extensive, the greater the impact of an advanced logistics methods to improve its logistics operation efficiency and reduce logistics costs is of great significance2. Enterprise operation strategyBusinesses operate is the third-party logistics companies and manufacturers of cold or cold cargo goods distribution companies work together cold chain logistics. In this mode, the cold chain logistics operation of the main enterprises, composed of cold chain logistics business based on the different types, divided into the following three cases One cold goods manufacturers and third party logistics cooperation. This strategy is the use of cold supply goods manufacturing enterprises, while the effective use of third party logistics enterprises, and cold chain logistics business. Such as the McDonald's restaurant chain logistics outsourcing is based on third-party logistics company that is fully contracted HAVI company. HAVI Company and McDonald's 7 cold chain logistics business strategy is a successful example of the logistics industry Second, the cold goods distribution companies and third party logistics cooperation. Now, with the people's living standards improve, the demand for frozen food market is growing. Some larger commercial enterprises, especially the chain of commercial enterprises, the increasing demand for cold storage logistics. View of the refrigerated logistics market characteristics of regional and time significantly, logistics companies can be considered in the developed coastal cities, for the supermarket chains, stores and other enterprises, in order to have items shipped to common logistics and distribution, based on the implementation of the regional logistics and distribution services of professional refrigeration Third, the cooperation of third party logistics. Currently, the existing chilled logistics service providers and more for small businesses, capital, operational experience and management level to be improved, but they are growing up, most of the accumulated a certain amount of cold storage logistics infrastructure resources, and specific customer base. Competitive logistics enterprises can make full use of their brand, capital, management and network advantages, and they carry out multi-faceted cooperation, especially in the cold on the various segments of the logistics project, the two sides continue to receive economic benefits, through their own ability integration of the existing resources of partners to jointly grow, the formation of independent third-party logistics service brand frozen 8 译文二: 冷链及其物流 作者:Jean-Paul Rodriguez 博士 和 Theo Notteboom 博士 一、概观 虽然全球化使世界小得多的地区之间的相对距离，这些地区的物理分离仍是一个非常重要的现实。更大的物理分离，更可能的货运可以在一个复杂的运输业务涉及损坏。有些货物可能会被损坏受到冲击，而有些人可以不让的温度变化而损坏。对于易腐物品，特别是食品标示的商品的范围，他们的质量下降，因为他们保持率可大多较低温度下减轻化学反应随着时间的推移。这需要时间的协调，有效地移动货物，每延迟可以产生消极后果，特别是如果这是易腐货物。以确保货物不会成为损坏或破坏整个过程中，在制药，医疗，食品等行业的企业正越来越多地依靠冷链技术。 冷链是指温度敏感产品的运输，以及通过热和冷藏包装方法的供应链和后勤规划，以保护这些货物的完整性。 专业化，导致许多企业不仅依靠重要的航运服务提供商，如美国联合包裹服务公司(UPS)和联邦快递，但也更集中的行业专家已经开发出一个利基周围的温度敏感产品的运输后勤专长的潜力，以了解当地的规则，海关和环境条件，以及估计的长度和时间的分布路线，使它们在全球贸易中的重要因素。因此，物流业经历了几个潜在的利基市场，在全球商品链中的冷链运输的专业化和分割的增长水平。整个分销业的新的细分市场一直很活跃，以优势的双重发展空间扩展的供应链全球化和各种货物流通的重要支持。从经济发展的角度，的冷链使许多发展中国家采取易腐产品在全球市场的一部分。从地理的角度，冷链有下列影响: •全球。专业化的农业功能，允许对温度敏感的食品运送到遥远的市场。使疫苗和其他药品或生物制品的分销。 •区域。可以支持的功能和规模经济，如专门的实验室，专业化的。 •地方。及时分发到最终消费者，即杂货店和餐馆。 二、冷链物流的兴起 虽然全球商品链是相当现代的扩张，在交通运输行业的冷藏温度敏感货物运 9 动是一种实践，可以追溯到1797时，英国渔民使用天然冰，以保护鱼类桩。这个过程也被看作从农村到城市的消费市场，即乳制品食品运动在19世纪末期。冷库也是一个殖民国家和他们的殖民地之间的食品贸易的重要组成部分。例如，在19世纪70年代末和1880年代初期，法国开始接收来自南美洲的大型冷冻肉和羊肉尸体出货量，而英国进口冷冻牛肉从澳大利亚和新西兰的猪肉及其他肉。到1910年，60吨冻肉被带到大不列颠独自。被美国食品公司在1903年推出的第一冷藏船的香蕉贸易。这使香蕉从异国情调的水果，有一个小市场，因为它抵达太成熟的市场，为世界上最消耗的水果之一。 温度控制的药品和医疗用品的运动是比冷藏或冷冻食品的运输更加现代化的交通选项。 20世纪50年代以来，后勤第三方公司开始出现和研究所的新方法，成功地运送这些全球性的商品。它们的出现之前，冷链流程大多在内部管理。在美国，食品和药物管理局限制和问责措施，在稳定冷链煽动许多这些公司的专业快递，而不是依靠他们的供应链设施彻底检修。因此诞生了一个专门的行业。在冷链保存昂贵的疫苗和医疗用品的价值才开始被认可时，这些后勤供应开始出现。作为意识开始恢复增长，也为高效的冷链管理的需要。 对冷链的依赖将继续受到重视。比如制药行业，例如，在很大程度上依赖于药物试验，生产和运动控制和无与伦比的出货量转移。一个的沿冷链移动的医药产品大部分是在实验或发展阶段。临床研究和试验，是一个业内人士认为，花费数百万美元的重要组成部分，但也经历了80,左右的失败率。据医疗配送管理协会，接近200亿美元的药品流通，约10,是对温度敏感的药物。负责运送近20亿美元的投资，这使得冷链。如果这些货物应该遇到任何意外曝光变温度水平，他们成为无效或病人的甚至是有害的运行风险。 在装运食品的温度控制是继续与国际贸易的必要性上升的行业的一个组成部分。越来越多的国家作为重点围绕食品出口的经济和生产的生产，需要长时间保持新鲜这些产品已获得重要性。提高收入水平创造改变，其中包括越来越多的新鲜水果和价值较高的食品，如肉类和鱼类食欲的饮食。具有较高的社会经济地位和更多的经济手段的人更容易消费的蔬菜和水果，尤其是新鲜的，不但数量较高，但也更多样化。随着购买力的消费者已经成为健康饮食的斤斤计较，因此，生产商和零售商的异国情调的新鲜水果，来自世界各地的数组回应。 10 三、食品运输 有香蕉会计与世界上最重要的食品冷链运输的所有海运冷藏贸易的20,的商品运输食品的各种方法。所有的陆地，海上和空中模式有不同的结构，为保持食物新鲜整个运输链。在包装，水果和蔬菜的涂层，生物工程(控制成熟)，减少食品变质的其他技术创新有帮助托运人扩大易腐产品的范围。对于食品，如水果和蔬菜，时间对他们的货架寿命，因此有一批货物可能产生的潜在收入的直接影响。随之而来，新的传输技术已获准在更长的距离装运易腐产品。例如，改善道路和沿非洲海岸的联运连接减少食品的运输时间从10天至4天到欧洲市场。 某些国内或跨国供应链可能只需要一个运输模式，但多次地面运输交通工具的组合中的一环。这使得换乘冷链的关键。联运的出货量通常使用20或40页脚冷藏集装箱的能力，最多可容纳26吨粮食。货柜装卸周期短，不容易遇到损坏。目前，在这些容器中的环境是通过插入到船或卡车上的一台发电机或电源电子控制，但早期的食品出货量将循环空气保持干燥或潮湿的冰商店食品冷藏。冷链物流的效率允许的冷藏设施的整合。 移动冰制冷，允许更大的旅行和距离，大大增加了全球粮食市场的规模，使许多发展中国家，捕捉新的机遇。运送食品的另一种有效的模式是空中旅行。虽然这是一个旅游的首选形式高度易腐和贵重物品，由于其移动更长的距离，更快的能力，但它确实缺乏对环境控制和传输的地面和海上运输方便。另外，在飞行过程中的货物存放在15? - 20?C的环境，但接近80,的时间，包被暴露在外部的天气，而等待被加载到飞机或移动和机场。这是困扰考虑食物的价值和背后的质量和新鲜度的重视。为了使这种形式的粮食运输的经验，在市场用户的增长，更不妥协的策略和法规将要拥抱和制定。 粮食运输是一个已经完全适应冷链，尽管与航空运输的问题，可以被认为是最有活力，特别是因为大部分的食品临时运输温度变化的耐受性有一个更好的产业。因此，小错误可以加剧没有关注不可逆转的损害。例如，为运输生产中，每隔一小时延迟预冷的出货量，同等之一保质期一天的损失，必须占。冷藏集装箱的使用，特别是帮助，因为他们占所有运输冷藏货物在世界上超过50,。源负载是一个重要因素，冷链产品的货架寿命延长，因为它被装在冷藏直接在生产地点，无需额外处理。例如，源加载到冷藏可以扩大冰鲜肉类的保质期由25天左 11 右，从传统的方法(从30-35天55-60天)，从而大大扩大了产品的市场潜力。 12 原文二: The Cold Chain and its Logistics Authors: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodriguez and Dr. Theo Notteboom 1. Overview While Globalization has made the relative distance between regions of the world much smaller, the physical separation of these same regions is still a very important reality. The greater the physical separation, the more likely freight can be damaged in one of the complex transport operations involved. Some goods can be damaged by shocks while others can be damaged by undue temperature variations. For a range of goods labeled as perishables, particularly food, their quality degrades with time since they maintain chemical reactions which rate can be mostly mitigated with lower temperatures. It takes time and coordination to efficiently move a shipment and every delay can have negative consequences, notably if this cargo is perishable. To ensure that cargo does not become damaged or compromised throughout this process, businesses in the pharmaceutical, medical and food industries are increasingly relying on the cold chain technology. The cold chain refers to the transportation of temperature sensitive products along a supply chain through thermal and refrigerated packaging methods and the logistical planning to protect the integrity of these shipments. Specialization has led many companies to not only rely on major shipping service providers such as the United Parcel Service (UPS) and FEDEX, but also more focused industry specialists that have developed a niche logistical expertise around the shipping of temperature sensitive products. The potential to understand local rules, customs and environmental conditions as well as an estimation of the length and time of a distribution route make them an important factor in global trade. As a result, the logistics industry is experiencing a growing level of specialization and segmentation of cold chain shipping in several potential niche markets within global commodity chains. Whole new segments of the distribution industry have been very active in 13 taking advantage of the dual development of the spatial extension of supply chains supported by globalization and the significant variety of goods in circulation. From an economic development perspective, the cold chain enables many developing countries to take part in the global perishable products market. From a geographical perspective, the cold chain has the following impacts: , Global. Specialization of agricultural functions permitting the transport of temperature sensitive food products to distant markets. Enables the distribution of vaccines and other pharmaceutical or biological products. , Regional. Can support the specialization of functions and economies of scale, such as specialized laboratories. , Local. Timely distribution to the final consumer, namely grocery stores and restaurants. 2. Emergence of Cold Chain Logistics While global commodity chains are fairly modern expansions in the transportation industry, the refrigerated movement of temperature sensitive goods is a practice that dates back to 1797 when British fishermen used natural ice to preserve their fish stock piles. This process was also seen in the late 1800s for the movement of food from rural areas to urban consumption markets, namely dairy products. Cold storage was also a key component of food trade between colonial powers and their colonies. For example, in the late 1870s and early 1880s, France was starting to receive large shipments of frozen meat and mutton carcasses from South America, while Great Britain imported frozen beef from Australia and pork and other meat from New Zealand. By 1910, 600,000 tons of frozen meat was being brought into Great Britain alone. The first reefer ship for the banana trade was introduced in 1903 by the United Food Company. This enabled the banana to move from an exotic fruit that had a small market because it arrived in markets too ripe, to one of the world's most consumed fruit. The temperature controlled movement of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies is a 14 much more modern transit option than the shipping of refrigerated or frozen food. Since the 1950s, logistical third party companies began to emerge and institute new methods for successfully transporting these global commodities. Before their emergence, cold chain processes were mostly managed in house by the manufacturer. In the United States, Food and Drug Administration restrictions and accountability measures over the stability of the cold chain incited many of these companies to rely on specialty couriers rather than completely overhauling their supply chain facilities. A specialized industry was thus born. The value of the cold chain in the preservation of expensive vaccines and medical supplies was only beginning to be recognized when these logistical providers started to appear. As awareness began to grow, so did the need for efficient management of the cold chain. The reliance on the cold chain continues to gain importance. Within the pharmaceutical industry for instance, the testing, production and movement of drugs relies heavily on controlled and uncompromised transfer of shipments. A large portion of the pharmaceutical products that move along the cold chain are in the experiment or developmental phase. Clinical research and trials is a major part of the industry that costs millions of dollars, but one that also experiences a failure rate of around 80%. According to the Healthcare Distribution Management Association, of the close to 200 billion dollars in pharmaceutical distribution, about 10% are drugs that are temperature sensitive. This makes the cold chain responsible for transporting a near 20 billion dollar investment. If these shipments should experience any unanticipated exposure to variant temperature levels, they run the risk of becoming ineffective or even harmful to patients. Temperature control in the shipment of foodstuffs is a component of the industry that has continued to rise in necessity with international trade. As a growing number of countries focus their export economy around food and produce production, the need to keep these products fresh for extended periods of time has gained in importance. Increasing income levels create a change in diet with amongst others a growing appetite for fresh fruit and higher value foodstuffs such as meat and fish. Persons with higher socioeconomic status and with more economic means are more 15 likely to consume vegetables and fruit, particularly fresh, not only in higher quantities but also in greater variety. Consumers with increasing purchase power have become preoccupied with healthy eating, therefore producers and retailers have responded with an array of exotic fresh fruits originating from around the world. 3. Food Transportation There is a variety of methods for the transport of food products with the banana accounting for the world's most significant commodity transported in the food cold chain with 20% of all seaborne reefers trade. Land, sea and air modes all have different structures for keeping food fresh throughout the transport chain. Innovations in packaging, fruit and vegetable coatings, bioengineering (controlled ripening), and other techniques reducing the deterioration of food products have helped shippers extend the reach of perishable products. For food products such as fruits and vegetables, time has a direct impact on their shelf life and therefore on the potential revenue a consignment may generate. Concomitantly, new transport technologies have permitted the shipment of perishable products over longer distances. For instance, improved roads and intermodal connections along the African coast reduced transport time for food to European markets from 10 days to 4 days. Certain domestic or transnational supply chains may only require one transportation mode, but many times ground shipments are one link in a combination of transport modes. This makes intermodal transfer critical for the cold chain. Intermodal shipments typically use either 20 or 40 footers refrigerated containers that are capable of holding up to 26 tons of food. The container makes loading and unloading periods shorter and less susceptible to experiencing damage. The environments in these containers are currently controlled electronically by either plugging into a generator or power source on the ship or truck, but early food shipments would cycle air from stores of wet or dry ice to keep the food refrigerated. The efficiency of cold chain logistics permitted the consolidation of cold storage facilities. Moving away from ice refrigeration has allowed for much greater distances to be traveled and has greatly increased the size of the global food market, enabling many 16 developing countries to capture new opportunities. Another efficient mode for transporting foodstuffs is air travel. While this is a preferred form of travel for highly perishable and valuable goods due to its ability to move much faster over longer distances, it does lack the environment control and transfer ease of the ground and sea transports. Also, during the flight the cargo is stored in a 15?C – 20?C environment, but close to 80% of the time the package is exposed to exterior weather while waiting to be loaded onto the plane or being moved to and from the airfield. This is troubling considering the value of the food and the importance placed behind quality and freshness. In order for this form of food transport to experience growth among market users, more uncompromising strategies and regulations will have to be embraced and enacted. Food transportation is an industry that has fully adapted to the cold chain and can, despite the problems with air transport, be considered the most resilient, particularly since a large majority of food products have a better tolerance to temporary variations of transport temperatures. As a result, small errors can be compounded without the concern of irreversible damage. For instance, for the transportation of produces, for every hour of delay in the pre-cooling of shipments, an equivalent one day loss of shelf life must be accounted. The usage of refrigerated containers has particularly helped, since they account for more than 50% of all the refrigerated cargo transported in the world. Source loading can be an important factor extending the shelf life of a cold chain product since it is loaded in a reefer directly at the place of production without additional handling. For instance, source loading into a reefer can expand the shelf life of chilled meat by about 25 days (from 30-35 days to 55-60 days) from conventional methods and thus considerably expand the market potential of the product. 17