Postharvest Management to Ensure Food Security and the Critical Role of Capacity Building

Session: Several regional and international organizations have quoted that the food losses are significant and evident in all parts of the world and at all stages of food supply chain. Depending upon the commodity and the handling practices followed, sometimes the losses can be more than 50% of the total produce. Reduction of losses is being increasingly argued for as a sustainable means to increase food availability and ensure global food security. Since last decade, several research programs presented different sources of losses and developed number of innovations to reduce losses. In order to reduce the food losses, effective extension and training about factors affecting food loss and wastage and suitable remedies is essential. The proper transfer of knowledge in postharvest handling of crops is still critically lacking, especially in low- and middle-income nations. Identifying suitable technologies as well as capacity building method for specific location and designing an effective program requires complete understanding of different aspects of target issue.

The break-out session will include discussions on ways to identify suitable technologies for postharvest management as well as the role of extension education and capacity building in the implementation of the technologies to reduce food losses.

Presenter: Vijay Yadav Tokala