Cause, Magnitude and Management of Post-Harvest Loss Impact in Food Security of Ethiopia –Review

Abstract

People in developing countries often facing losses of staple foods. Ethiopia is country depended on food imports to feed its population. Food security is one of most pressing issues that demand our immediate attention in Ethiopia there by post-harvest loss leads to food insecurity, higher food prices, and ultimately loss of scarce resources used in food production. The major post-harvest loss causes are, inefficient operational activities such as harvesting, handling techniques, packaging, storage, transportation facility, marketing situation and disease and pest. Its losses in developed countries are relatively high at consumer end, while in developing (Ethiopia) countries relatively high in early stages of farm level. Magnitudes of post-harvest loss along value chain have been above 5,000 metric tons per annum for all crops and their losses estimated between 10 to 50 percent in Ethiopia. In addition, Ethiopia’s total post-harvest losses 2.04 million tons for a grain at a time when Ethiopia’s import requirement is 1.16 million tons. So that, issue of food losses reduction is high importance in efforts to combat hunger, raise income and improve food security. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable food security, producers, retailers, wholesalers, research institutes and other public and none governmental organizations need to have collaborate to reduce post-harvest loss at farm, wholesale, retail and consumer levels in Ethiopia. DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/116-01 Publication date: June 30 th 2022