Post-Harvest Loss Reduction for Enhanced Food and Nutrition Security in IGAD Member States

Food insecurity and malnutrition remain a major public health and socioeconomic concern in Africa, particularly in Eastern Africa, which is home to more than half of the continent’s undernourished population The region is highly dependent on food import, in particular cereals According to recent estimates (FAO 2021 The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World), around 70 million people in the region are food insecure, and at least 20 million of its population are dependent on food aid The lack of food self sufficiency has prompted national and regional policymakers in the Eastern Africa region to investigate the causes of low production and to promote interventions to increase domestic food production and reduce food losses along the agricultural value chain Post harvest losses ( is an essential, but often overlooked component that jeopardizes food security and affects incomes of producers PHL is a measurable reduction in foodstuffs caused by insects, microorganisms, rodents, and birds, which can affect the quantity or quality of agricultural crops produced.