When post-harvest losses disrupt food security efforts

By Dyson Mthawanji

Hunger remains a pressing challenge in Southern Africa, with millions of people struggling to access adequate food resources. While agricultural productivity plays a crucial role in addressing food security, post-harvest losses continue to undermine efforts to end hunger in the region.

Post-harvest losses refer to the significant reduction in quantity and quality of agricultural products that occurs after the harvest, but before food reaches consumers. These losses occur due to various factors such as inadequate storage facilities, improper handling, pests and diseases, and lack of market access. In Malawi and other countries in southern Africa, post-harvest losses pose a considerable challenge to food security initiatives.

Malawi provides a clear example of the impact of post-harvest losses on hunger mitigation. The country relies heavily on agriculture, with a large percentage of its population engaged in small-scale farming. However, inadequate storage facilities, limited infrastructure, and poor post-harvest handling practices contribute to substantial losses of staple crops such as maize. It is estimated that Malawi loses approximately 20-30% of its maize production to post-harvest losses annually, severely affecting food availability and exacerbating hunger levels.

Similarly, other countries in the region face comparable challenges. For instance, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe experience significant post-harvest losses due to factors like inadequate storage, lack of processing facilities, and poor transportation infrastructure. These losses not only contribute to food shortages but also hinder economic development as farmers' income is reduced perpetuating the cycle of poverty and hunger. This is particularly impactful for vulnerable communities already facing food insecurity. These losses also entail a waste of valuable resources such as land, water, seeds, fertilizers, as well as the labour that was invested in producing the lost crops. This waste further exacerbates the challenges faced by farmers and communities striving to enhance food production.

Smallholder farmers and rural communities generally rely on the income generated from selling their surplus crops. Post-harvest losses deny them the opportunity to generate a living income, hindering their economic stability and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Small-scale farmers are particularly vulnerable to post-harvest losses due to limited access to proper storage facilities, infrastructure, and technologies. Crop losses affect their livelihoods and can act as deterrent to their continued involvement and investment in agriculture. This in turn undermines efforts to combat food insecurity. The reduced availability of food also leads to increased market prices. As a result, vulnerable populations, especially those with limited purchasing power, struggle to afford nutritious food, exacerbating the problem of hunger.

To address post-harvest losses and enhance food security in Malawi and other neighbouring countries, various interventions should be implemented. These include improving storage and transportation infrastructure, promoting better post-harvest handling practices, investing in appropriate technologies, strengthening market linkages, and providing training and support to farmers. Policy reforms and initiatives that focus on reducing food waste and losses throughout the supply chain can contribute to improving food security and achieving the goal of ending hunger in the region.

Adult education has a crucial role to play in mitigating the problem of post-harvest losses. By equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement effective practices and access and use the latest technology, crop losses can be drastically reduced. To begin with, adult education programmes can raise awareness about the causes and consequences of post-harvest losses among farmers, traders, processors, and other stakeholders. By providing relevant information on best practices, suitable technologies, and proper handling techniques, adult education can sensitize people on the impact of these losses. Targeted training programmes can then equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to mitigate the problem. These programs should cover topics such as proper harvesting techniques, sorting and grading methods, suitable storage practices, pest and disease control, effective packaging, and transportation methods. By imparting these skills, adult education can help people to significantly reduce losses and preserve the quality of harvested crops.

Furthermore, adult education can be used to promote the adoption of appropriate technologies for post-harvest management. This includes educating people about cost-effective storage facilities, such as improved granaries, silos, and cold storage units. It can also provide training on drying and processing technologies such as solar dryers and food preservation techniques, which help to extend the shelf life of perishable crops. Adult education programmes can also enhance entrepreneurial skills and promote value addition activities.

Adult education platforms are also used to facilitate farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange programmes where experienced farmers who have successfully implemented post-harvest management practices share their expertise with fellow farmers. This peer learning approach allows for practical and context-specific knowledge transfer, fostering innovation and improved practices.

Farmers should also be educated on policy areas that affect their livelihoods and empowered to engage in dialogue and advocacy for effective policy development and implementation. Adult education enables farmers to advocate for supportive policies, investments, and infrastructure development related to post-harvest management.

In many ways, adult education plays a vital role in the management of post-harvest losses. By empowering individuals with the knowledge, skills, and the capacity to implement efficient farming practices, and by addressing knowledge gaps and promoting behaviour change, adult education contributes to reducing losses, enhancing food security, and supporting efforts to end hunger.

This article was first published on www.mojaafrica.net