Reducing Food Loss Along African Agricultural Value Chains

The amount of food lost each year due to post-harvest loss (PHL) is enough to feed the total number of undernourished people globally. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) alone, which unfortunately is home to over 230 million people suffering from chronic undernourishment, 30-50% of production is lost at various points along the value chain.

Efforts to reduce PHL thus provide an attractive opportunity to improve food security across the globe, but especially in SSA. A range of solutions exist that address PHL, but there is not a clear consensus for which are best at effectively reducing losses. Perhaps in this case “best” should be defined by clear quantifiable evidence to help guide decision-making. It is this motivating premise that underpins the work described in this report.