African grain losses after harvest cost US$4 Billion, FAO Says

Grain losses after harvests in sub-Saharan Africa cost about US$4 billion (€2.776 billion) a year, the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report. Food lost to decay and pest infestation could feed 48 million people, said Maria Helena Semedo, the FAO’s assistant director-general, in today’s report. Grain losses prior to harvest can total as much as 20 percent, the FAO said.

“If we agree that sustainable agricultural systems need to be developed to feed nine billion people by 2050, addressing waste across the entire food chain must be a critical pillar of future national food strategies,” Semedo said. Adding metallic silos, providing sealed bags and applying crop protectants will help prevent food loss after harvest, according to the report. Localising solutions to fit the environment in Africa also will prevent losses, the FAO said. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers