The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) announced that the International Refrigerated Warehouses Association (IARW) in Brazil has incorporated the Brazilian Refrigerated Storage Industry Association (ABIAF). The combined organizations will be known as GCCA Brasil. After a three-year joint venture agreement, both associations formally voted to approve the merger on December 17, 2020.
“We are excited to officially welcome ABIAF and its members to the GCCA family. The union of our two organizations helps to strengthen the resources offered to members in Brazil, ”said Matthew Ott, president and CEO of GCCA. "ABIAF members will have access to GCCA resources and greater exposure to a global market."
GCCA Brasil's goal is to provide services, resources and programs that add value to all Brazilian companies in the cold chain and build on the legacy that ABIAF has created over the years.
”Originally founded in 1979, ABIAF has been recognized as the leading Brazilian association for all matters related to the cold chain, seeking to offer the best services to all its members. In December 2017, GCCA and ABIAF entered into a three-year joint venture that allowed GCCA to provide additional value to the cold chain industry in Brazil.
During this period, GCCA Brasil:
• Created and managed technical committees to deal with Food Safety, Insurance / Risk Management and Human Resources Regulations / Work Regulations;
• Continued growth of the annual event with a focus on providing strategic content;
• Organized regional round tables in strategic locations to recruit and engage members;
• Increased adherence;
• Improved the relationship with government officials in the Ministry of Agriculture and other entities related to the industry;
• Launched specific market intelligence tools for the Brazilian industry;
• And translated resources, including best practices in operations, industry promotion and many materials related to COVID-19.
Brazilian associates and the ABIAF Board of Directors were instrumental in the success of the merger. Director of Friozem Logistica and ex-president of the Word Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), Fabio Fonseca, and CEO of SuperFrio and board member of IARW (and ex-president of ABIAF), Francisco Moura, were essential for the establishment of GCCA Brasil through its strategic leadership and advice.
Francisco Moura says “The incorporation of ABIAF by GCCA represents a great achievement for the Brazilian cold chain. Despite the great work that the founders and directors of ABIAF have done over time, now Brazilian slaughterhouses will be fully inserted in the global environment, with resources and tools to further grow our sector.
The GCCA team in Brazil includes the Director of GCCA Brazil, Isabela Perazza, who was hired in 2018, and the Member Services Supervisor, Tatiana Nascimento, who previously worked at ABIAF for 12 years. In addition, GCCA Brasil recently hired a consultant for
Government, which will continue the relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture and support Brazilian associates in the search for specific regulations for the sector.
