During the academic semesters 2020-II to 2021-I, I was part of the project The cold chain and its environmental impacts in horticulture companies in Colombia as a research assistant. This paper summarizes my main findings from the literature review and state of the art of the fruit and vegetable industry and its cold chain logistics, as well as possible opportunities for improvement. Horticulture, which includes crops of fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants, requires proper management of harvest, distribution, and storage. As its products are perishable, the correct cold chain is crucial to bring the product from the garden to the table. However, small, and medium-sized national companies have difficulties in consolidating a sophisticated cold chain due to high technology costs and the precarious road infrastructure to the main cities hinders distribution logistics. Likewise, the environmental impacts generated by refrigerants were identified to provide both technological and planning alternatives to minimize the environmental footprint of the production process. Finally, the great export potential of this agricultural sub-industry is recognized in terms of products such as pineapples, dates, avocados, and tubers.
