International food logistics will always bring complexity, but in recent years, supply chain disruptions have become a constant. Now more than ever, amid heightened volatility, including geopolitical conflict and rapidly evolving policy and regulatory shifts, supply chain leaders are operating in a state of persistent disruption that is fundamentally reshaping how decisions are made.
Lineage’s Cold Chain Insights Survey, which surveyed 1,000 decision-makers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, sheds light on how food and beverage supply chain leaders are responding in today’s increasingly complex operating environment. Notably, 95% of surveyed organizations reported adjusting their strategic plans in the past year alone due to shifting policy landscapes.
At the same time, a broader set of structural pressures is intensifying disruption. According to the survey, rising freight and fuel costs (25%) and climate-related disruptions (31%) are compounding this complexity. Extreme heat and storms can disrupt production and transportation systems resulting in delays, shortages, and reduced efficiency.
Still, global food demand remains stable, according to Nielsons and Circana data. In fact, 72% of organizations reported rising demand for refrigerated and frozen foods in Lineage’s survey, underscoring the growing strategic importance of the cold chain. Yet, shifting consumer demands continue to challenge operators, with 66% of companies reporting that inventory only sometimes or rarely keeps up with demand, according to the same report. This is reinforced by the American Frozen Food Institute’s Power of Frozen in Retail report, which shows that core frozen food users increased from 35% in 2019 to now representing 40% of all shoppers.
In response to these challenges, supply chain leaders are demanding more from their partners to build resiliency. Now more than ever, companies are relying on cold chains to provide solutions that can scale alongside their evolving needs.
Building a resilient cold chain is critical in a volatile market
No two supply chains are the same, and each is uniquely affected by today’s disruptions and demands. As a result, companies are seeking flexible cold chain partners that can operate efficiently amid ongoing volatility, making preparedness and resilience key differentiators.
Tariffs, regulation, and political shifts (56%), technology improvements related to analytics and predictive analytics (53%), and improving supply chain resilience (45%) rank among the top forces shaping supply chain decisions today, according to Lineage’s Cold Chain Insights Survey. and in many ways, these factors all go hand-in-hand.
The findings also highlight evolving priorities with 47% of leaders citing flexible storage capacity as their greatest need, while 41% want partners to provide better data to inform planning. Against this backdrop, food and beverage companies are investing in AI, technology, and automation to improve performance and stay competitive. In fact, 60% of companies say AI and data top the list of forces transforming their operations today, reflecting a broader move toward a more predictive, responsive supply chain.
Having the right supply chain partner – that delivers at every degree – makes all the difference
As leaders look to refine their strategies to strengthen the supply chain, identifying the right partner is critical to successful execution. Working with a cold chain partner that can support the business as it scales enables companies to maintain focus on their core operations while building long-term resilience.
Many cold chain providers position themselves as equipped to meet today’s demands, but the ability to deliver consistently during disruption and at every degree remains a key differentiator. As complexity increases, scale, reliability, and integration are becoming more important in supporting diverse supply chain needs.
Capabilities such as Lineage Velocities multivendor freight consolidation, less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, and port-centric warehousing demonstrate how global integrated solutions can help improve flexibility and operational efficiency. These approaches enable supply chains to better navigate volatility, maintain product integrity, and keep goods moving across increasingly complex networks.
When the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) began a strike in October 2024, operations at East and Gulf Coast ports halted, disrupting a significant portion of U.S. food imports and exports. As a result, a seafood importer was left with nearly 50 containers of shrimp, lobster tails and other frozen seafood products sitting at the port, increasing the risk of spoilage, product loss, and port penalties. Leveraging port-centric warehousing, Lineage rapidly mobilized its network and operational teams to turn a high-risk situation into a controlled recovery, preventing loss and restoring flow across the supply chain.
While port-centric strategies help mitigate disruption at the coast, solutions on land play an equally important role in maintaining supply chain continuity. In particular, cross-border agility has become increasingly critical as companies navigate shifting trade policies and pressures. Facing looming tariff threats, a Canadian frozen food manufacturer needed a quick but dependable solution to move product into the U.S. ahead of new policies taking effect. Lineage designed and executed a plan centered on a strategically located warehouse in the Pacific Northwest, close to the Canadian border and key U.S. destinations and already equipped for temperature-controlled product. In less than a week, the product was transported across the border, cleared, stored, and prepared for U.S. distribution, helping the customer avoid added costs while maintaining inventory levels and keeping retail shelves stocked.
Agility is also evident in a company’s ability to scale for growth. When a frozen food producer experienced a record-breaking 105-million-pound harvest that far exceeded its storage capacity, Lineage activated space across 15 facilities and executed more than 400 temperature-controlled shipments via rail and over-the-road transportation. This approach ensured every pallet reached its next destination with temperature integrity intact, enabling the customer to manage rapid growth while minimizing disruption.
Looking ahead, as supply chain leaders continue to navigate disruption, the role of technology will become increasingly important. Investments in AI and automation are accelerating, signaling a shift toward innovation as a core driver of resilience.
Creating a smarter supply chain through AI and automation
When it comes to tech trends, companies are prioritizing capabilities that provide improved visibility and optimized performance, with transportation optimization (45%), real-time visibility (44%), AI-informed decision making (44%) and warehouse automation (41%) ranking among the top areas of investment for supply chain operators, according to Lineage’s survey.
The operational impacts of these investments are already proving to be beneficial. Leaders report that AI is improving coordination (45%), boosting efficiency (37%), and strengthening strategic decision making (34%). As the industry evolves, 57% of leaders are focusing efforts on long-term plans to prioritize investments that match inventory to demand at speed, while 52% look to improve operational efficiency.
With these trends continuing to shape the supply chain and logistics industry, the ability to stay agile and combine technology and operational efficiency will be critical. Companies that invest in these capabilities will be better positioned to navigate disruption, respond to changing demand, and achieve long-term resilience.
Bringing food to the world requires reliability and adaptability at every degree of the supply chain. With the scale and network capabilities to support customers across global markets, Lineage helps ensure products arrive safely where they’re needed the most, every step of the way. Learn more about the survey results and what they reveal about how supply chain leaders are navigating ongoing challenges and partnering with cold chain providers at Lineage | 2026 Cold Chain Insights Survey.
