Small-scale farmers and post-harvest losses

With the relentless growth in population, countries can no longer afford to waste food. Manoshi Mothapo, a researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s Natural Resources and Engineering division, examines how post-harvest losses affect smallholder farmers, and how they can be reduced with correct handling and storage.

- Manoshi Mothapo

FAST FACTS

Post-harvest loss (PHL) is defined as the volume of fresh produce that fails to reach the consumer due to a deterioration in quality.

The biggest PHLs reported are those of fruit, root vegetables and tubers.

Cold storage and transportation are crucial for preventing PHL.

Food is a delicate commodity. About one-third (1,3 billion tons) of that produced around the world for human consumption is lost or wasted every year.

Post-harvest loss (PHL) can be described as the fruit and vegetables produced that do not reach consumers due to degradation in quality and quantity. Effectively, it includes the loss of the food itself and the inputs required to produce and distribute it. It is a loss that has long concerned both farmers and sellers.

The world’s population is expected to reach 9,7 billion by 2050, and this will require an increase in global food production of about 60% from current levels, as well as more equitable access to food. As it stands, over 815 million people around the world are chronically undernourished, especially in parts of subSaharan Africa and South Asia, where 22,8% and 14,7% of people respectively are undernourished. The greatest PHLs reported in the fresh produce sector are of fruit, root vegetables and tubers. Regional data for fruit and vegetable losses show that all regions across the globe lose at least 20% of their fresh produce, with extreme losses of 45% and 50% recorded in Africa and Asia respectively.