What are the main factors that determine post-harvest losses of grains?

Abstract

Reducing post-harvest losses (PHL) permits the improvement of food security and food safety, reduction of unnecessary resource use and increase of food supply chain actors’ profits. Most published studies have addressed the problem qualitatively, mainly due to difficulty obtaining necessary data. This paper seeks to understand how macroeconomic conditions influence PHL of grains (rice, maize, soybeans and wheat), which are the main source of food for humans and animals, through the construction of an econometric model using global level panel data from publicly available databases. Results suggest that increasing production to feed the increasing population often involves a difficult trade-off. Some countries seeking on-farm production gains lack post-harvest infrastructure, especially in food storage and food marketing, which contribute to a sharp increase in the PHL level. There is also evidence that economic development non-linearly reduces grains’ PHL in all dimensions.