Tracking the carbon footprint of our shipping containers from Costa Rica to Europe

Fresh Del Monte Produce’s fruit travels through a carefully managed cold chain, linking farms and packing facilities in Costa Rica with ports, vessels, distribution centres and retailers across Europe. Every refrigerated container protects product quality during that journey, while also using energy and generating transport emissions that need to be measured with care.

A useful carbon footprint covers more than the ocean crossing. It includes the movement of fruit from the farm to the export terminal, electricity or fuel used by the reefer unit, vessel operations, port handling, inland delivery and, where relevant, the return or repositioning of empty equipment. The result is a route-specific picture rather than a single estimate applied to every shipment.

This work also matters to customers in Australia. Australian shoppers are familiar with long-distance fresh-food supply chains, whether produce enters through Port Botany, Melbourne or Brisbane. Comparing the Costa Rica–Europe route with Australia’s own refrigerated logistics helps make the numbers understandable while recognising that each trade lane has different distances, ports, weather patterns and regulations.

Defining the journey from farm to European shelf

The measurement begins at the point where harvested bananas, pineapples or other products leave an agricultural operation. Farm vehicles, packing-house electricity, refrigerants, cartons, pallets and the short haul to a port can all influence the product’s supply-chain footprint. Separating these activities allows the company to see which emissions belong to cultivation and packing and which are created by distribution.

At the port of Limón or Moín, containers are connected to power and prepared for loading. Once aboard a vessel, the reefer may draw electricity from the ship’s system or use an independent generator during certain stages. The container then moves through a European gateway such as Rotterdam, Antwerp or another suitable port before travelling by rail, road or short-sea service to a distribution centre.

Australian ports provide a useful local comparison. A container handled through Port Botany may then move towards western Sydney, while a shipment entering Melbourne can continue to warehouses serving Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Those inland legs can represent a meaningful share of the total footprint, just as the final European delivery leg must be included rather than treating the port as the end of the journey.

Measuring emissions inside a refrigerated container

A reefer container has a specific energy profile. Its cooling system must maintain temperature throughout loading, ocean transit, port storage and inland delivery, even when outside conditions change. Electricity consumption depends on cargo temperature, insulation, set point, ambient heat, ventilation requirements, equipment age and the length of time the container remains connected to a power source.

The calculation combines measured activity data with appropriate emissions factors. Electricity use can be multiplied by the grid factor for the location where it is consumed, while vessel, truck and rail movements are assessed through fuel use, distance, cargo weight and equipment characteristics. Refrigerant leakage is also relevant because some refrigerants have a high global warming potential.

The method should record assumptions openly. A container travelling during a hot European summer may require a different energy pattern from one moving in cooler months. Similarly, port dwell time, transhipment and border procedures can change the result. In Australia, biosecurity inspections and quarantine requirements under the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry can add time to imported cargo movements, illustrating why operational data is essential to a credible estimate.

A structured workflow helps prevent small omissions from becoming large reporting gaps. The same discipline used in a detailed process-mapping example can be applied here: define each stage, identify its inputs, test the boundaries and document where measured figures end and estimates begin.

Turning route data into a reliable carbon footprint

The footprint is usually expressed as kilograms or tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. For fair comparisons, the result can also be reported per container, per pallet, per tonne of product or per kilogram of fruit delivered. Each unit answers a different question: a logistics team may need container-level data, while customers and procurement teams may focus on product-level intensity.

A robust inventory distinguishes direct and indirect emissions. Fuel burned by company-controlled equipment may fall within direct operational emissions, while purchased electricity and contracted transport are generally indirect. The exact accounting treatment depends on organisational boundaries and reporting standards, but the key principle remains consistent: disclose what is included, what is excluded and why.

Data quality matters as much as mathematical precision. Bill-of-lading records can confirm origin, destination, vessel and container movements. Reefer monitoring can provide temperature and power information, while carrier data can help verify vessel distance, fuel methodology and transhipment. Where primary data is unavailable, recognised secondary factors can be used, provided their source, year and limitations are recorded.

This approach supports meaningful comparisons across routes. It avoids claiming that every container has an identical footprint and makes it easier to identify the influence of load factor, route length, waiting time and transport mode. It also creates a baseline against which future efficiency measures can be tested.

Finding reductions across the cold chain

The first opportunities often come from better utilisation. Filling containers efficiently, reducing empty space and coordinating harvest with vessel schedules can lower emissions per unit of product. Better forecasting can reduce avoidable storage and help prevent containers from waiting in port longer than necessary.

Vessel selection also matters. Newer ships may use more efficient engines, improved hull designs or lower-carbon fuels, although the benefit depends on actual performance and fuel accounting. Slow steaming can reduce fuel consumption, but it must be balanced against product freshness, inventory requirements and the energy used by refrigeration during a longer voyage.

At terminals and distribution centres, shore power and efficient electrical connections can reduce reliance on diesel generators. Renewable electricity procurement may lower emissions where the relevant market instruments are credible and transparently reported. Inland delivery can benefit from rail, consolidated loads and route planning, while electric or alternative-fuel trucks may become more practical on shorter European legs.

Australian supply chains face related choices. Retailers serving Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane must manage long distances, seasonal demand and strict cold-chain requirements. Lessons from European shipments can inform broader logistics decisions, but the Australian electricity grid, road network and geography must be assessed separately rather than assumed to produce the same result.

Connecting climate data with responsible business

Carbon accounting is part of a wider sustainability system. A lower-emission shipment that compromises worker safety, food quality or community wellbeing would not represent responsible progress. Transport partners therefore need clear expectations covering labour practices, ethical conduct, safety, traceability and compliance with applicable laws.

Fresh Del Monte’s sustainability reporting places environmental action alongside healthy food, community development and ethical business practices. The company’s broader sustainability programme provides context for understanding how emissions measurement fits within a wider set of commitments, including agricultural stewardship and social investment.

Social outcomes can also be assessed with discipline. School feeding, nutrition education and community initiatives may not appear in a shipping calculation, yet they are relevant to the overall value created by a food supply chain. A published social return assessment shows how programme outcomes can be examined alongside resources and activities rather than described only in broad terms.

Transparent reporting should make these connections clear without blending unlike metrics. The carbon footprint answers an environmental question; social impact measures answer different questions about people and communities. Presenting both with defined boundaries gives stakeholders a fuller and more credible view of performance.

Reporting progress that stakeholders can trust

A useful public update should show the route covered, the period measured, the number of containers included, the calculation method and the main sources of uncertainty. It should explain whether emissions from cultivation, packaging, port operations, ocean freight, inland transport and refrigerant leakage are included. This level of detail allows customers to interpret results responsibly.

Progress can then be tracked through practical indicators: kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne delivered, reefer electricity per container day, average port dwell time, share of containers using verified carrier data and the percentage of inland kilometres covered by lower-emission transport. These indicators connect climate ambition with operational decisions.

Independent review can strengthen confidence, especially when data is used for customer disclosures or science-based targets. Verification should examine boundaries, emission factors, allocation methods and evidence supporting reported activity. Improvements to the system should be recorded so that year-on-year reductions are not confused with changes in methodology.

For Australian stakeholders, transparent route reporting is especially valuable because imported food travels through complex networks before reaching a supermarket or hospitality business. Clear data helps buyers compare suppliers, understand the limits of product claims and support practical choices in a market where distance, refrigeration and biosecurity all affect logistics.

The next step is to establish a verified baseline for one complete Costa Rica–Europe route, covering farm gate, port, vessel, reefer energy and final distribution, then use that result to prioritise the two largest measurable sources of emissions.