Green logistics crucial in food sector: Experts

An overview of the conference (Photo: VNA)

Green logistics is a growing trend that is expected to become a requirement in the supply chain of food sector, heard a conference themed “Green logistics – from trend to practice and its role in the food production and export” held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 28.

Nguyen Tuan, Vice Director of the HCM City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), said that this year, the logistics sector is facing many difficulties from high inflation pressure and economic crisis in major economies as well as the disruption of supply chains, which affect import-export and logistics activities.

Greening up trade and logistic activities is becoming a crucial need, leading to higher standards and cost for trade and logistics activities.

Tuan said that currently, logistics is an important link to "green up" the supply chain towards a sustainable development roadmap. In the context that consumers increasingly prefer environmentally friendly products and the trend of transition to a green economy is taking place globally, green logistics has received greater attention from businesses, he held.

Tuan said that the greening up of the logistics sector and the persification of measures to green up the sector in all aspects will help businesses better meet requirements in environmental protection, enhancing their competitiveness and secure sustainable growth.

Ton That Tu, a logistics expert, said that there remain many challenges for Vietnam to promote green logistics. He noted that 74.4% of the total goods is being transported by roads, and the switching of transportation methods to railway and waterway has been slow.

Meanwhile, the majority of logistics businesses in Vietnam are of small and medium sizes without close coordination and standardisation of logistics services. Many of them have yet to have necessary capacity and technologies to provide high quality services, he said.

Tu held that for the food sector, green logistics can help improve food safety and quality, and reduce cost, which is crucial for Vietnam currently.

Experts advised the logistics sector of Vietnam to design policies to increase investment to the infrastructure system to upgrade roads, railways, airports and seaports to facilitate goods transport.

Relevant ministries and agencies should also simplify administrative procedures to remove obstacle for logistics forms and encourage them to renovate their operation towards becoming more friendly to the environment, they said.

They also advised logistics and food firms to be more active in digital transformation and apply new technologies in their operations./.