Mitigating food losses in Benin : status and way forward for postharvest research and innovations

Access to extension services was found to be an important factor for adoption of post harvest (PH) technologies in Benin. Consequently, there is need to give more impetus to outreach programmes. Training and dissemination of simple cost-effective handling and shelf-enhancing technologies can easily reduce losses associated with harvesting and handling, especially for fruits and vegetables. Innovations to mitigate post harvest losses need to be holistic, addressing the whole system rather than individual components. This brief reviews literature associated with post harvest losses in sub-Saharan Africa, and makes recommendations for interventions along value chains to increase food security