Missing Food : The Case of Postharvest Grain Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa

World Bank

Missing Food : The Case of Postharvest Grain Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa

Autores

World Bank

Editor

Washington, DC

Descripción

Low-income, food-deficit countries have become especially concerned about the global and national food situation over the past three years. While the proximate cause of this heightened concern was the surge in food prices that began in 2006 and peaked in mid-2008, concerns remain for other reasons, among them the higher market-clearing price levels that now seem to prevail, continuing price volatility, and the risk of intermittent food shortages occurring repeatedly far into the future. For lower-income Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, ongoing contributing factors include persistently low productivity, difficulty adapting to climate change, financial difficulties (inability to handle the burden of high food or fuel prices or a credit squeeze), and increased dependence on food aid. Yet there is an additional, often-forgotten factor that exacerbates food insecurity: postharvest losses (PHL). They can and do occur all along the chain from farm to fork, which reduces real income for all consumers. This especially affects the poor; as such a high percentage of their disposable income is devoted to staple foods. This report is based on the desk study undertaken by experts of the U.K. Natural Resources Institute (NRI). Data were collected by direct contact (e-mail or telephone), with authorities holding information on past and current projects; by searching the Internet for details about projects; and by reviewing published and 'gray' literature. Data were also collected from the personal experiences of the NRI review team who had worked on numerous and diverse projects to reduce grain PHL in SSA over the last 30 years and from experts in the field. These experts were identified and asked to complete a questionnaire that would draw out their experiences to indicate the weakest links in the postharvest chain, the interventions that deserve to be prioritized for future action, and those that should be avoided. Of about 40 invited respondents, a total of 20 returned completed (or partially completed) questionnaires.

Palabras clave

ACCESS TO MARKETS, ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGIES, AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURAL INPUTS, AGRICULTURAL POLICY, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL FEED, ANIMAL PRODUCTS, ATTRIBUTES, BAGGING, BALANCE SHEET, BARLEY, BASIC, BEANS, BEER, BEST PRACTICES, BUSINESS MODELS, BUYERS, BY-PRODUCTS, CAPABILITIES, CAPITAL ASSETS, CASH CROPS, CASH FLOW, CASSAVA, CEREAL CROPS, CEREAL IMPORTS, CGIAR, CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY, CIMMYT, CLEANLINESS, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, COMMERCIAL FARMERS, COMMERCIAL VALUE, COMMERCIALIZATION, COMMODITY, COMMODITY PRICES, COMMUNITIES, COMPONENTS, CONNECTIVITY, CONSUMER DEMAND, CONTAINERS, COOKING, COPYING, COPYRIGHT, COWPEAS, CROP, CROP PRODUCTION, DEGREE OF MECHANIZATION, DRAINAGE, E-MAIL, E-MAIL ADDRESSES, ECOLOGICAL ZONES, ELECTRICITY, ENABLING ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS, ENTRY POINT, ENTRY POINTS, EQUIPMENT, EXPORT MARKETS, EXTRACTS, FAIRS, FAO, FARM, FARM ACTIVITIES, FARM MANAGEMENT, FARM PRODUCTIVITY, FARM STORAGE, FARMER, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMS, FERTILIZER, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FLOUR, FOOD AID, FOOD AVAILABILITY, FOOD CROPS, FOOD DISTRIBUTION, FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD LOSSES, FOOD POLICY, FOOD POLICY RESEARCH, FOOD PRICES, FOOD QUALITY, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD SHORTAGES, FOOD SUPPLY, FOODS, FRUIT, FUNGI, GLOBAL MARKET, GRAIN, GRAIN BORER, GRAIN CONSUMPTION, GRAIN CROPS, GRAIN HANDLING, GRAIN PRODUCTION, GRAIN QUALITY, GRAIN STORAGE, GRAINS, GREEN REVOLUTION, HARVESTING, HARVESTS, HAZARD, HIGH YIELDING VARIETIES, HIGH-YIELDING VARIETIES, HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY, HYGIENE, IFPRI, INDEXES, INFORMATION CHANNELS, INFORMATION FLOW, INFORMATION NETWORK, INFORMATION SHARING, INFORMATION SYSTEM, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INNOVATION, INNOVATIONS, INSECT PESTS, INSTITUTION, INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INVENTORY, IRRI, JUTE, KNOWLEDGE BASE, LAMB, LICENSES, MAIZE, MAIZE COBS, MAIZE GRAINS, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, MANUFACTURING, MARKET ANALYSIS, MARKET INFORMATION, MARKET LIBERALIZATION, MARKET OPPORTUNITY, MARKET ORIENTATION, MARKET PLACES, MARKET PRICES, MARKETING, MARKETING BOARDS, MATERIAL, MEDIA, MILLET, MOLD, NATURAL RESOURCES, NETWORKS, NEW TECHNOLOGY, OILSEEDS, OUTGROWER SCHEMES, PACKAGING, PACKING, PADDY, PANICLES, PATHOGENS, PEST CONTROL, PESTICIDES, PHOTO, PLANTAINS, PLANTING, PRICE LEVELS, PRICE POLICY, PRICE STABILIZATION, PRICE VOLATILITY, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT, PROCUREMENT, PRODUCE, PRODUCT QUALITY, PUBLIC ACCESS, QUERIES, RADIO, RENEWABLE RESOURCES, RESULT, RESULTS, RICE, RICE CULTIVATION, RICE RESEARCH, SALES, SEED, SILO, SILOS, SMALL FARMERS, SMALL PRODUCERS, SOIL FERTILITY, SOIL TYPES, SORGHUM, SORGHUM GRAINS, SPREAD, STAPLE FOODS, STOCKS, STORAGE CAPACITY, STORAGE FACILITIES, SUBSISTENCE FARMERS, SUBSTITUTION, SUPPLIERS, SUPPLY CHAIN, SUPPLY CHAINS, SURPLUS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TECHNICAL EXPERTS, TECHNICAL SKILLS, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TECHNICAL TRAINING, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES, TECHNOLOGY PUSH, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, TELEPHONE, TELEVISION, TILLAGE, TRANSACTION, TUBERS, USERS, VALUE CHAIN, VALUE CHAINS, VEGETABLES, VIDEO, WAREHOUSE, WAREHOUSES, WEB, WEB SITE, WEB SITES, WEBSITES, WFP, WHEAT, WHOLESALERS, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME, YIELDS