The adoption and acceleration of post-harvest solutions and grain protection in smallholder sub-Saharan Africa to mitigate food security

Post-harvest losses remain a serious threat to efforts that ensure food security in sub-Saharan Africa, currently resulting in 30 – 40% of the grain harvest being lost each year, estimated to cost as much as $4 billion annually. Smallholder farmers, who make up 80% of the agricultural producers in sub-Saharan Africa, suffer limited crop preservations, inappropriate storage facilities, pest infestations, and suboptimal handling. This comprehensive analysis evaluates the performance of various grain protection technologies and develops strategies to expand post-harvest and grain protection solutions across the region. Both traditional and modern storage methods were appraised in this report using systematic analysis of observed data, which showed that conventional storage leads to 20 – 40% losses while modern hermetic technologies can reduce these to less than 1% with proper use. It recognises critical impediments to adoption, such as high initial investment, skill gaps, and market entry restriction while highlighting successful interventions that achieved 65 – 80% adoption in areas with strong support. The study provides a strategic approach to scale up sustainable solutions with a focus on mainstreaming traditional knowledge with modern technology, climate-resilient solutions, and digital innovation.

Recommendations include the potential for collaborative government, private sector, research institution, and farmer action to accelerate implementation and increase impact.

This analysis offers lessons to advancing age-old global concerns on food security and agricultural sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa, by signalling pragmatic steps for minimising post-harvest losses, enhancing farmers’ income and solidifying regional food systems. The findings suggest a need for integrated measures cutting across technical, economic and social aspects and the need for ensuring environment-safe and climate-resilient measures.