The postharvest sector includes all points in the value chain from production in the field to the food being placed on a plate for consumption. Postharvest activities include: Harvesting, handling, storage, processing, packaging, transportation and marketing. The amount of resources used and the efficiency of production are contingent upon use of appropriate technologies, infrastructure, storage, processing, marketing and transportation (Mrema & Rolle 2002).
Insufficiencies in one of these areas results in significant amounts of horticultural crops that are lost due to harvesting at an incorrect stage of produce maturity, water loss, drought, extreme temperatures, physical damage, contamination by pests and market competition. “In developing countries, losses of the order of 40-75% have been reported” (Clark et al. 1997, p. 301). Postharvest loss results not only in the loss of the actual crop, but also losses in the environment, resources, labor needed to produce the crop and livelihood of individuals involved in the production process. When 30 percent of a harvest is lost, 30 percent of all the factors that contributed to producing the crop are also wasted (World Resources 1998).
The majority of rural populations in developing countries has limited to no resources and solely depends on the agricultural sector for their subsistence, livelihood and revenue. Therefore, postharvest losses are often felt with greater magnitude then in developed nations. “While in developing countries the share of postharvest activities in total value added of food products tends to be lower, there is a tendency towards greater importance of postharvest operations” (Goletti & Wolff, 1999, p. 7). Small-scale farmers depend heavily on the agricultural sector but they experience disturbingly high levels of postharvest loss due to over-ripening, decay and physical injuries caused during handling, packaging and transporting (Acedo & Weinberger 2006).
There are a wide range of postharvest technologies that can be adopted to improve losses throughout the process of pre-harvest, harvest, cooling, temporary storage, transport, handling and market disbursement. Recommended technologies vary depending on the type of loss experienced and include: Using liners for existing packages, sorting produce by quality, providing shade, using tables, using dry ice for insect control, low energy cold storage, monitoring produce temperature, improved transportation, low-cost food processing, solar drying and curing (Kader 2003).
Acedo, L.A. and Weinberger, K. (2006). RETA 6208 Postharvest Technology Training and Development of Training Master Plan. AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, pp. 1–72. Retrieved November 2009 from AVRDC: http://www.avrdc.org/postharvest/training/PHT_training_manual-english.pdf
Clark, K. E. E., Levy, S. L., Spurgeon, A. and Calvert, A. I. (1997). The Problems Associated with Pesticide use by Irrigation Workers. Occupational Medicine, 47(5), 301-308. Retrieved from http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/5/301
Goletti, F. and Wolff, C. (1999). The Impact of Postharvest Research. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 29, 1-109. Retrieved from http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/pubs_divs_mtid_dp_papers_dp29.pdf
Adel, K. (2003). A Perspective on Postharvest Horticulture (1978–2003). HortScience, 38(5), pp. 1004–1008. Retrieved November 21, 2009 http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/datastorefiles/234-57.pdf
Mrema, C. G. and Rolle, S. R. (2002). “Status of the postharvest sector and its contribution to agricultural development and economic growth.” 9th JIRCAS International Symposium – Value Addition to Agricultural Product, pp. 13–20. Retrieved November 2009 from JIRCAS: http://www.fao.org/ag/ags/subjects/en/harvest/docs/Mrema_Rolle.pdf
World Resources Institute (1998). Disappearing Food: How Big are Postharvest Losses? Retrieved November 28, 2009 from EarthTrends: http://earthtrends.wri.org/pdf_library/feature/agr_fea_disappear.pdf