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Export group backs foreign cold storage assistance bill

Proposed legislation would invest in foreign market cold storage infrastructure, allowing more U.S. frozen food exports.

The Fortifying Refrigeration Infrastructure and Developing Global Exports or FRIDGE Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House Tuesday.

Lowell Randel, Senior Vice President of Government and Legal Affairs with the Global Cold Chain Alliance tells Brownfield the FRIDGE Act is crucial for diversifying export markets for perishable food products.  He says one of the biggest challenges in developing new markets is a lack of cold chain capacity. “U.S. protein, pork, poultry, beef and if you don’t have a cold chain, then once it hits that new market, you have real challenges maintaining the safety and quality of that product and getting it to consumers in the right condition.”

Randel says the one-million-dollar annual funding proposed in Iowa Representative Randy Feenstra’s bill wouldn’t go very far if it was used for building new infrastructure, but it will help facilitate investment. “This is really more about going into these emerging markets, conducting needs assessments, doing a full assessment of the cold chain in that market and then making recommendations. Here are the infrastructure investments that are needed, providing technical assistance.”

Randel says Southeast Asia and Africa are two growing markets U.S. exporters would see benefits from FRIDGE Act investments, if passed. 

The FRIDGE Act was first introduced in 2023 and attached to the House and Senate versions of the farm bill, which failed to advance.  Randel is optimistic the new bill will pass as part of the next farm bill.

AUDIO: Lowell Randel discusses the FRIDGE Act with Brownfield’s Larry Lee