Cutting harvest losses: solutions that work, from storage to solar drying
A review of 324 studies finds better storage, drying and cooling can cut losses of roots and tubers from 43% to under 12%.
PANM — About a third of the world's food is lost or wasted, and for farmers a lot of it disappears between the field and the market. Researchers from North-West University, the University of Johannesburg and others, led by Abeeb Babatunde Omotoso and Olaniyi Fawole, reviewed 324 studies across the Global South, and write in The Conversation that the solutions are known.
Losses without and with action
| Crop | Without measures | With measures | |---|---|---| | Cereals | 27.7% | 8.2% | | Vegetables | 35.1% | 7.3% | | Fruits | 25.8% | 6.2% | | Roots and tubers | 42.9% | 11.5% |
What works
- Airtight (hermetic) storage and better warehouses.
- Cooling, from cold chains to low-cost options.
- Solar drying, alongside traditional methods such as smoking, salting and fermentation.
- Better harvesting, handling and packaging.
These cut losses, raise farmers' incomes and open higher-value markets.
The plan
1. Measure losses properly, crop by crop and region by region. 2. Treat storage, rural roads, processing and cold chains as part of food production. 3. Make technology affordable and local, combined with Indigenous knowledge and taught through extension services, cooperatives and digital platforms. 4. Offer targeted subsidies, affordable loans and risk sharing, and include women in design, training and finance. 5. Fund whole value chains, not one-off equipment.
For Africa, where many families farm, keeping more of each harvest is one of the fastest ways to raise incomes and food security at once.
Source: The Conversation, 14 October 2026.
