Postharvest Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

For most countries in Africa and notably the low-income/food-deficit countries, postharvest losses are often a forgotten yet important factor that exacerbates food insecurity. A recent study of the Food and Agriculture Organization estimated food losses of 120-170 kg per capita and year for Sub-Saharan Africa with 40% of the losses occurring at post-harvest and processing stage.

Food security of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa is increased through reduced postharvest losses at farm and community level.

The primary target group (direct clients) are smallholder farming households and rural communities in the two pilot countries (first phase). The intervention focuses particularly on net-deficit grain agricultural producers. The secondary target group (indirect clients) are local farmer organizations, rural advisory services agents, private sector actors, staff from NGO’s and governments, and policy makers which are all considered as “change agents” in terms of improved postharvest management.

1. Improved handling and storage options within the grains and pulses value chains are benefitting smallholder farmers in pilot countries.
2. Good practice options for reducing postharvest losses are compiled, disseminated and scaled up.
3. Appropriate regulatory frameworks on reducing post-harvest losses in food supply chains are introduced and implemented at national and regional levels and financing is secured.

Results from previous phases:  

Scoping studies conducted in Benin and Mozambique confirmed the need for action, revealing a number of major constraints that impede effective postharvest management. Among the most important are a lack of awareness of the relevance of postharvest losses at all institutional levels, the quasi absence of postharvest management as topic in politics and rural advisory services, no possibilities of households to invest in improved postharvest technologies, the loss of traditional knowledge on local postharvest management techniques, inappropriate or harmful conservation methodologies and the limited access to markets and market information.

Phase 1 01.09.2012 - 31.03.2017   (Completed)