Feeding more by wasting less

A third of the food we produce throughout the world actually never gets eaten. We’re talking about so-called post-harvest loss. It’s a huge waste of resources, and stemming it could help eliminate hunger.

When it comes to feeding the world, the focus is usually on increasing food production but a vital point is often overlooked: how much of the food that is grown never reaches the plate. This so-called post-harvest loss has a profound impact, particularly in developing countries. A new $130-million (116-million-euro) initiative launched this year by the Rockefeller Foundation in Africa is working on ways to tackle the problem.

“In Africa, we face a lot of challenges with agriculture, particularly around food security,” Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director for Africa at The Rockefeller Foundation told DW. “There is a general perception that Africa is facing a production gap but the reality is that Africa can feed itself.” The problem, he concedes, is post-harvest loss.

“Africa produces 100 percent of what it needs [in terms of food], but 60 percent of that production is lost!” Read More…

 

Feeding more by wasting less