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Food losses concern us all – new challenges for international cooperation – Documentation of an expert discussion held on 28 June 2012 Published by:

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Food losses concern us all – new challenges for international cooperation –Documentation of an expert discussion held on 28 June 2012

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2 Contents

Contents

1. Introduction 3 The issue from a development policy perspective 4 2. Experiences in international cooperation 6 Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit 6 Julius Kühn-Institut 7 Deutsche Welthungerhilfe 8 African Post Harvest Losses Information System 10 VDMA-German Engineering Federation 12 3. Discussion 14 Rural infrastructure 14 Technology transfer 16 Capacity development and organisational development 16 4. Conclusion 18 5. Annex 20 Programme 19 List of participants List of participants 20 PowerPoint presentations 22 Key websites 22

AfDB African Development BankAFSI L’Aquila Food Security InitiativeAPHILS African Post Harvest Losses Information SystemAU African UnionAVRDC World Vegetable CenterBLE German Federal Office for Agriculture and FoodBMELV German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer ProtectionBMZ German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentDED German Development ServiceGIAF German Initiative for Agribusiness and Food Security in Emerging and Developing CountriesEU European UnionGDPRD Global Donor Platform for Rural DevelopmentGIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale ZusammenarbeitGTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit

List of abbreviations

FAO United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization IITA International Institute for Tropical AgricultureKfW Kreditanstalt für WiederaufbauJKI Julius Kühn-Institut (Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants)LGB GTZ project – Biological-integrated control of the larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatusMOAP GIZ Market Orientated Agriculture Programme in GhanaNAREN Sector project – Sustainable Management of Resources in AgricultureNGO Non-governmental organisationPHL Post-harvest lossesVDMA Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagen- bau (German Engineering Federation)WaLUE Water Losses in Urban EnvironmentWFP World Food ProgrammeWHH Deutsche Welthungerhilfe

3einführung

According to food and Agriculture organization (fAo) estimates, approximately 30 per cent of the global food supply, i.e. around 1.3 billion tonnes per year, is wasted or lost after harvesting. Post-harvest losses and food wast-age occur along the entire value chain, from production through storage and processing to marketing. they are ultimately responsible for the inefficient use of limited natural resources such as water, soil and biodiversity.

the outcomes of the expert conference ‘food losses con-cern us all – new challenges for international cooperation’, which was commissioned by the german federal Ministry for economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and held in Bonn on 28 June 2012, are summarised below. the issues surrounding post-harvest protection and post-har-vest losses were addressed and examined from different perspectives. the aim of the conference was to initiate dis-

cussions around the experiences, challenges and options for action on this matter in international cooperation with stakeholders from various sectors, including government, non-governmental organisations (ngos), research and the private sector. An impulse for the discussion was provided by Stephan Krall (gesellschaft für international Zusammenarbeit-giZ) and André Fabian (BMZ). further inputs were given by Heike Ostermann (giZ), Agnes Ndomo (Julius Kühn-institut), Cornel Adler (Julius Kühn-institut), Ute Latzke (Deutsche Welthungerhilfe), Marc Bernard (german federal office for Agriculture and food – BLe) and Richard Clemens (german engineering federation – VDMA). the afternoon session was divided into three group parallel roundtable discussions on the issues of (1) infrastructure for rural development, (2) trans-fer of new technologies and (3) capacity development and organisational development of rural organisations.

1. Introduction

4

The issue from a development policy perspective

André Fabian, BMZ, Rural Development; Global Food Security Division

the term food wastage describes the throwing away of food that has already been processed for human con-sumption and occurs in the first instance in industrialised countries, but increasingly in emerging economies as well. in contrast, food losses occur at previous stages, from production through storage and processing to marketing and constitute a major problem, especially in developing countries. from studies available to date, the fAo esti-mates losses of up to 30 percent; in how far these figures reflect the global reality is to be discussed today.

introDuCtion

the issue of rural development has been back on the political agenda for around three years. this was mainly prompted by the uprisings in north Africa, the Middle east and Central America, which were precipitated in part by steep rises in food prices. furthermore, the population of the sahel and the horn of Africa is still threatened by famine. Population growth, the higher demand for ani-mal products arising from increasing prosperity in many developing countries and emerging economies, the com-peting uses of biomass for food and increasingly for bioen-ergy, as well as the impacts of climate change, are putting scarce natural resources needed for production, such as soil, water and biodiversity, under intense pressure. As a result the issues of efficiency and productivity in agricul-ture and reduction in losses are again a focus of policy.

5introDuCtion

Against the backdrop of current increases in producer prices, there is now a window of opportunity for coura-geous small producers to invest in post-harvest protec-tion. in combination with appropriate advisory and other services (microcredits, market information), training and organisational advice, the momentum exists for an ef-fective reduction in food losses. the rising demand from the growing cities for high-quality foods equally presents the producers with the challenges of efficient storage, transport and processing in order to satisfy this demand. ultimately, the possibility of storing harvested crops with-out incurring heavy losses also provides producers with a cushion against sharp price fluctuations, as they can then sell their goods when the market sends the appropriate price signal.

however, achieving a reduction in food losses is not just a case of building storage facilities and rural roads, but re-quires the holistic consideration of the entire value chain from field to consumer in terms of losses and potential efficiency. this means that – in addition to the actual producers – a large number of stakeholders working in the public sector (transport, agricultural consultancy) and in the private sector must be reached and advised. the collaboration of development organisations, the private sector, ngos and academia will be vital in tackling this complex issue effectively again, and for realising tangible contributions to global food security. the purpose of this conference is to assist this process by acting as a knowl-edge workshop and taking the first steps towards achiev-ing that goal.

through the 2009 Aquila food security initiative (Afsi), the g8 countries have pledged to provide a total of 22 bil-lion (us) dollars for measures promoting lasting solutions to the food crisis for the period between 2010 and 2012. Chancellor Merkel agreed that germany would contrib-ute a total of 3 billion (us) dollars for rural development and food security during this period. BMZ has explicitly incorporated the issue of post-harvest protection in its ‘ten Point Programme on rural development and food security’ and wants to avail itself of today’s conference to take the first step towards bringing together stakeholders in germany and facilitating further cooperation.

As early as the 1970s and 1980s german and international cooperation agencies carried out numerous projects on post-harvest protection. subsequently, the subject dis-appeared from the agendas of both donors and partner governments. since then hardly any research has been conducted on the scale and extent of food losses, so that existing data is out of date and/ or incomplete. however, most of the experience gained at the time is still there; it needs to be compiled and made available. that is why it is important to link up with other donors who have also done work on the subject, such as the fAo, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. today, among other issues, we would therefore like to present the expe-riences of previous development projects and discuss to what extent they are still valid today and where they need to be adapted to changed settings.

the pivotal question is: how is it that these major losses occur, and why do producers, processors and, ultimately, consumers allow this to happen? there are still no in-depth studies, although a number of reasons seem plau-sible. firstly, investment in rural areas has been falling for decades, resulting in a weak transport and storage infra-structure. this has led to some harvested crops being left in the fields, rotting away or deteriorating in inadequate warehousing. in addition, low producer prices have re-duced incentives for investing in storage facilities in recent decades. this also explains a quotation from a member of staff at the ugandan ministry of agriculture: ‘it is cheaper to lose your harvest than to build storage facilities’.

6 KOLUMNENTITEL VERSAL

2. Experiences from international cooperation VDMA-German Engineering Federation

Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit

Agnes F. Ndomo, Julius Kühn-Institut and Heike Ostermann, GIZ

the issues of post-harvest management and protection of stored goods were dealt with in various giZ projects1 between 1980 and 2000. the correspondent documents have been stored at the Julius Kühn-institut in Berlin. in order to benefit from the experiences already gathered from these projects and related research activities, old

project documents are currently being reviewed. sample projects from that period include:

1. Biological-integrated control of the larger grain borer (LGB) Prostephanus truncatus (1980–1994) in maize and cassava in several African countries. Losses and pest populations were reduced and a package of advisory services developed in this joint project with various uni-versities, national plant protection services in African countries and international institutions (international institute for tropical Agriculture (iitA), fAo).

1 Deutsche gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (giZ) was formed in January 2011 from three predecessor organisations: the german Development service (DeD), Capacity Building international (inWent) and the Deutsche gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (gtZ – german technical Cooperation).

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Figure 1: Illustration of the value chain and possible loss points for post-harvest goods and foodstuffs (source: GIZ)

Sector Project „Sustainable Management of Resources in Agriculture"

Page 3

2. Post-harvest project on roots and tubers in Africa (1990–1994) in Benin, ghana and togo. technical inno-vations were introduced for storing yams and cassava in collaboration with iitA and the relevant agriculture ministries. for example, drying times were reduced by using special peelers and cutting smaller pieces.

3. Malawi-German biocontrol and post-harvest project. (1987–1992). By multiplying and distributing unaf-fected seed, the number of cassava fields infested with larger grain borer was reduced by 20 per cent. Advisory services for farmers led to a significant drop in cereal losses.

Post-harvest losses have many causes >> see Figure 1. Decisive factors are the quality of the crop, the harvesting procedure, the efficiency of processing, adequate trans-port, drying and storage facilities, packing and access to markets. furthermore, the degree of organisation and standard of education among producers as well as access to investment finance and loans play an important part.

A lack of awareness of quality as well as cultural aspects and local can lead to increased problems. the same applies for external factors such as fragile social contexts, climatic changes, extreme weather events and natural disasters. this multitude of factors and critical points explains the complexity of the issue. Losses can be quantitative or qual-itative (reduced market value) and occur along the entire value chain. that is why a systemic approach to post-har-vest protection is needed. in addition to building partner-ships with suitable partner organisations and businesses, it is necessary to provide advisory services and training, to promote the dissemination of new technologies and the development of rural infrastructure and to enable access to financial services, crop insurance and policy advice. organisations already working on these issues include the fAo, the African union (Au), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, the World food Program (WfP), the Bill & Melinda gates foundation, the global Donor Platform on rural Development (gDPrD) and the german federal office for Agriculture and food (BLe) (see the presentation on APhiLs in chapter 5 below).

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Julius Kühn-Institut

Cornel Adler, Institut für ökologische Chemie, Pflanzenanalytik und Vorratsschutz des Julius Kühn-Instituts (JKI)

the institute carries out public funded research for the german federal Ministry of food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection (BMeLV) and has numerous inter-national contacts and considerable experience in other countries. it also currently maintains 50 insect breeding colonies.

Figure 2: Different stages of the pantry moth (Source: C. Adler)

Pantry moth: Plodia interpunctella (Pyralidae) Origin: Mediterraean area, Asia Minor

stored product pests are world travellers, proliferating through global trade. therefore cooperation on stored product protection makes sense for all parties involved. insects are the chief cause of losses in dried plant prod-ucts, as they are able to reproduce without an outside water source in stored goods. insect respiration creates a damp environment favouring the proliferation of micro-bial pests that further contribute to the decomposition process. in addition to quantitative and qualitative losses, the contamination of stored crops with mycotoxins is a serious problem associated with improper storage or pest infestation. how are insects able to find their way into stored goods? they are attracted to volatile components which are currently being studied (Agnes ndomo’s disser-tation topic). the greatest losses occur sporadically and are aggravated by factors such as extreme climate variations, new cultivars, inadequate storage structures and methods, or political instability. Poor warehouse management is also a frequent cause of losses.

Besides the larger grain borer or the efficacy of neem, JKi has studied on contact insecticides in the humid tropics. these insecticides frequently broke down relatively rap-idly and lost their effectiveness. integrated stored product protection combines methods for the prevention, early detection and control of stored product pests. Because a pest infestation always leads to quality losses, additional expenses and possibly subsequent damages, the primary focus nowadays is on the preventive approach. storage structures and packaging are challenges for the future, as both may prevent the intrusion of pests in the first place. there are presently two project proposals on hermetic or insect-proof storage with JKi involvement underway (eu-Au project with ghana and Malawi, BLe innovation project on pest-proof long-term grain storage). heat can be used to disinfest empty storage facilities. Diatomaceous earth can be used as a non-toxic contact insecticide in germany, and is equally suitable for warm climates (coop-eration with the university of ngaoundere in Cameroon). neem and other active ingredients can be used as botani-cal preservatives, although health aspects and acceptance require precise clarification. it is important that the active ingredients and methods employed be adapted to the

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respective region (climate, storage requirements, food spectrum, availability of technology, available materials, level of education), and traditional techniques should also be integrated within the overall system. Along with ngos, other possible partners include universities, former schol-arship holders and guest researchers. the stored products research division of JKi used to have close ties with gtZ and is looking forward to a new working relationship with giZ.

Figures 3 and 4: An example of non-hermetic storage facilities in Africa and Germany (source: C. Adler)

Deutsche Welthungerhilfe

Ute Latzke, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (WHH)

Welthungerhilfe has thus far not dealt systematically with post-harvest protection, although the topic does play a role in many projects. A comprehensive survey of the pro-jects underway in 2011 revealed than in 42 out of approx. 255 projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, smaller and larger measures were being implemented in the harvest, storage, processing, packaging, transport and market-ing areas at various levels, and that improvements in the post-harvest protection area had been achieved. trainings and workshops for target groups (in particular women’s groups) were held. new technologies for improving har-vesting methods, methods for processing and preserving various harvest products (grain, cassava, potatoes, oil seed, coffee, cacao, etc.), and measures for improving storage using natural botanical pesticides were introduced on household and village as well as on local and regional lev-els. specific examples of such measures include improved drying techniques, introduction or upgrading of fermen-tation technologies, and more efficient milling or pressing. improvements in marketing were also achieved through appropriate transportation options (trucks, ox carts, devel-opment of infrastructure). Workshops on fair trade mar-keting and organic product certification were designed to promote international marketing.

Welthungerhilfe places a high value on post-harvest protection for sustainable food security; it sees a great po-tential for efficiently eliminating foodstuff losses through simple measures based on locally available materials. Knowledge must be made more accessible and usable on a local level. Welthungerhilfe plans to focus more on post-harvest protection as part of its 2012–2014 strategy.

Challenges in post-harvest protection include lack of infrastructure, lack of systemic incentives in the supply chain, low market prices, limited investments in the rural sector, and lack of education among producers. Due to insufficient data and lack of funding, the perfor-mance of more in-depth analyses, the preparation of cost-benefit analyses and the provision of scientific inputs to project activities have thus far been beyond the means of Welthungerhilfe.

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African Post Harvest Losses Information System

Marc Bernard, German Federal Agency for Agriculture and Nutrition (BLE)

in order to get a better handle on the magnitude of post-harvest losses, the African Post harvest Losses informa-tion system (APhLis; www.aphlis.net) was created five years ago with eu funding for collecting robust data on post-harvest losses. the current discussion on rising food prices and food losses played a decisive role in the creation of APhLis.

APhLis is a web-based instrument for determining post-harvest losses in cereals in eastern and southern Africa. the loss estimates for individual countries and their prov-inces can be looked up. African agricultural ministries, experts, statistics bureaus, research institutions and the natural resources institute (nri) all participated in the creation of APhLis. the data used for calculation are col-lected and input via a network of local experts and local institutions. A ‘PhL calculator’ then computes the percent-age loss data for various regions. the system ensures trans-parency and traceability by showing the details of how each value was calculated. the underlying algorithm gen-erates estimates, which are displayed in the form of maps,

Figure 5: Elevated storage facility with metal rodent guards; zero energy chamber for refrigerating foods (source: U. Latzke)

kjlkj 33

Stelzspeicher mit Metallschutz „Zero energy chamber“

Liberia

Indien

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tables and production figures >> see Figure 6. the extensive scientific literature on cereal production in the tropics was reviewed in order to create the algorithm; this approach provided the basis for deciding which factors need to be taken into account for the development of APhLis. the ‘APHLIS off-line calculator’ can be used to estimate losses if there is no local internet access, or to estimate the losses of any area in general. APhLis is publicly accessible. it is designed so that the countries in question can input and manage the data on their own and thus stimulate research and project devel-opment. there are plans to expand the system beyond eastern and southern Africa to include Western and Cen-tral Africa as well. APhLis has been upgraded in a third phase to include a total of 38 rather than 17 countries. the system will enable better policy consultation, increase the efficiency of supply chains, and help improve food secu-rity. in addition to estimating quantitative losses, APhLis will also provide information on qualitative post-harvest losses and practical tips for reducing losses in smallholder

farming in the future. the information gathered will also be used to identify research priorities, with the aim of re-vealing and closing knowledge gaps in a targeted manner.

in the following discussion, the central role of foodstuff losses in the current public debate on global food security was put into perspective, as there are other important as-pects (such as greater productivity per unit of land area) to consider as well. Losses are scattered throughout a supply chain (from sowing and harvesting to processing and mar-keting), hence there is a relatively low loss rate (0 < 3 per cent) at each step. therefor measures for reducing losses must be implemented in a targeted manner, take the socio-economic setting into account, and specifically fac-tor in the impacts on the resource balance, since the loss of grain also means the loss of valuable resources needed for producing the grain. Post-harvest losses are certainly important in the struggle to achieve food security. how-ever, investments for increasing productivity offer simpler approaches to increasing food availability in many areas and therefore should not be neglected. Figure 6: Example of a display of post-harvest loss estimates in maize, sorghum and wheat in Africa for 2007 by APHLIS

(source: M. Bernard) Final PHL estimates displayed on maps

Maize

Sorghum

Wheat

Maize sorghum Wheat

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VDMA – German Engineering Federation

Richard Clemens, Professional Association of Food Technology in the German Engineering Federation (VDMA)

the food and packaging technology sector plays an im-portant role not only in germany, but also to a growing extent in countries such as China, india and turkey. the emphasis is on packaging, refrigeration and processing equipment for plant products and for meat and fish. other technologies serve to provide germ-free drinking water, which is very important in view of the growing world pop-ulation and the increasing demand for food. in the context of increasing urbanisation and megacities, especially in Africa and Asia, the introduction of better processing and packaging systems for longer shelf life and of ways to pro-duce foods with less waste is key for ensuring an adequate food supply for the population.

An underlying problem in processing and packaging tech-nology is the lack of knowledge and technical know-how. More effort in terms of vocational and on-the-job train-ing is required here. A lack of a sense of quality regarding packaging, insufficient financial resources and guarantees plus poor infrastructure result in a large proportion of food being lost. According to fAo estimates, as much as 40 per cent of food is lost in the post-harvest, processing and transportation phases in developing countries. good packaging could therefore contribute significantly to food security.

the VDMA is involved in several international projects dealing with loss reduction. An example is the funding of workshops in Kenya, in which the people were taught how to use packaging equipment. Another example is the re-duction of water losses in all production steps in the con-text of the WaLue (Water Losses in urban environment) initiative or the save food initiative in cooperation with the fAo and various companies. since June of this year, the VDMA has been collaborating with the giAf (german initiative for Agribusiness and food security in emerg-ing and Developing Countries). in this initiative, various representatives of the german private sector have joined forces with giZ under the aegis of the BMZ to promote trans-sectoral projects along the supply chain, thus mak-ing a contribution toward food security.

in the discussion it was noted that compared to fish or meat, dairy products were not being included to a suf-ficient extent in the topic of food losses, even though they represent an important food group. the VDMA is receiving more and more requests from newly industrialising and developing countries about the possibility of expanding the supply chain (exporting packaged apple juice rather than just apples). the topic of resource use or the volume of resources and raw materials (from renewable resources) consumed for packaging and thus competing with food production was also discussed.

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Figure 7: Food losses in the fruit and vegetable supply chain (source: FAO Global Food Losses and Food Waste, 2011)

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Nahrungsmittelmaschinen und Verpackungsmaschinen

Nahrungsmittelverluste in der Versorgungs-kette: Beispiel Obst und Gemüse

Quelle: FAO Global Food Losses and Food Waste, 2011

14 erfAhrungen in Der internAtionALen ZusAMMenArBeit

3. Discussion

opinions were divided on the extent to which food se-curity is possible with subsistence farming alone and whether rural road building is essential for food security in marginal areas. however, there was agreement on the fact that the way out of subsistence farming can only be through appropriate infrastructure measures. small-scale farmers have to rely on passable roads and accessible stor-age facilities to be able to store their goods properly and sell them. the experiences of development cooperation clearly show, however, that investment in infrastructure measures cannot be separated from other factors. Better linkage to markets through tarred roads and higher pro-ductivity facilitated by this has to be accompanied by ad-vice on sustainable agricultural methods in order to pre-vent overexploitation of natural resources such as soil and water. these interactions need to be taken into account

group discussions addressed the following topics in great-er depth: rural infrastructure, technology transfer, capac-ity development and organisational development.

Rural infrastructure

Discussions about the causes and prevention of post-harvest losses often inevitably lead to the issue of rural transport and storage infrastructure. investment in build-ing roads and storage facilities has taken a back seat in german development cooperation in recent years. the group, which included delegates from KfW and the Afri-can Development Bank (AfDB), discussed the relevance of storage facilities, transport routes and access to markets to prevent food losses.

15DisCussion

and medium-sized businesses to invest in post-harvest protection presuppose additional support through capac-ity building. the World economic forum could provide a platform where state institutions and businesses could more easily network and reach agreement. the coopera-tion with the giAf is still in its infancy, but holds con-siderable potential for further collaboration. A McKinsey study of rural infrastructure2 was also discussed in this group; even though it emphasises overall funding plans for entire regions and does not focus specifically on the business or village level.

Amongst other things the AfDB is funding a project on post-harvest losses in citrus fruit value chains in ghana. investment in training centres, transport routes and mar-kets to prevent food losses also form part of AfDB activi-ties. Although implementation is still very complex, this approach could be worth considering for further projects concerned with post-harvest losses.

Figure 8: Participants in the rural infrastructure discussion group (source: GIZ)

2 Confederation of indian industry, unlocking rural india’s growth Potential, May 2007

when planning investments and projects. the AfDB has been investing in warehouses for collective use by village communities. giZ’s experience with these community warehouses has been poor, as local people have refused to use them, even though some of the technical innovations in warehouse construction have been taken up.

A well-known approach to the storage of agricultural pro-duce is the Warehouse receipt system. the stored goods must meet certain qualitative standards and any possible risks from storage lie with the warehouse operator. the producer storing his/her goods is given a receipt, which in turn gives him security for a loan. this enables the farmer to gain financial liquidity and thus make flexible invest-ment decisions. greater use of this type of storage should be considered again in the future.

Cooperation between state and private sector players has not always been successful in the eyes of the private sec-tor. in particular, effective incentive structures for small

16 DisCussion

Technology transfer

the issue of technology transfer can have a pivotal in-terface function between the public and private sectors. there are no standard solutions for technology transfer; successful models are ‘tailor-made’. An example of this is contract farming, within which technology transfer takes place and which is already being implemented to a large extent by the private sector. in this system, large food companies contract small-scale farmers directly and fix the produce and quantity to be delivered in exchange for guaranteed uptake prices and the provision of support services. the introduction of production standards can be an opportunity for small-scale farmers to improve quality standards and thus competitiveness. on the other hand, excessive quality requirements can also exclude produc-ers from the market. support for producers in quality management and the promotion of more processed goods strengthens farmers’ economic base. further possibilities for technology transfer are provided by investment by private firms in collective warehouse systems in transport and packaging. gaining access to storage, packaging and processing services rather than owning the commensurate equipment gives producers the opportunity to participate in the value chain even without access to large amounts of capital. By paying use fees, the users’ appreciation of the equipment is increased and the cost of repairs can be cov-ered. there is also the possibility of transferring ownership of the equipment to the users after a certain length of time. A good example of this is the provision of refrigera-tion systems for storing goods such as fish (VDMA).

innovative partnerships between the private and public sector with the aim of increasing investment in the farm-ing sector under consideration of aspects such as market mechanisms and infrastructure might furnish an alter-native framework for successful technology transfer. in practice these partnerships are still rare and there are few proven examples. the group called for an expansion of these initiatives.

if investments and associated technology transfer are to succeed, small producers need to receive appropriate ad-vice. An important basis for this is the creation of appren-ticeships, combined with the establishment or funding of

agricultural colleges. in general, cooperation with science and research in the area of processing should be increased. the question of intellectual property and its protection often arises where technology and innovation transfer is concerned. inadequate regulations or disregard for intel-lectual property rights can hinder successful technology and innovation transfer, resulting in untapped potential. technology transfer should, therefore, be undertaken in close collaboration with private enterprises so that the intellectual property aspects are taken sufficiently into ac-count from the outset.

Capacity development and organisation-al development

the group had in-depth discussions on case studies from Welthungerhilfe, BLe (APhLis), World Vegetable Center (AVrDC) and from the training programmes of the former inWent and gtZ. it was evident that capacity develop-ment in the form of education, training and extension services for farmers is being considered a key tool for improving post-harvest protection and for reducing food losses. the group members agreed that resources should be invested not only in building or improving storage fa-cilities, but also and above all in the education and further training of farmers.

there is already a great deal of knowledge and experi-ence available in the partner countries, both in terms of research and practical application. good, appropriate solu-tions are, however, only put into practice locally and are not implemented on a large scale.

As part of the activities of Whh or the World Vegetable Center (Mali branch) farmers are advised directly on site on locally prevalent diseases and pests, which is consid-ered to be very effective but on a large scale also as very expensive and time-consuming. the institutional condi-tions to enable wider dissemination and application are often lacking. good links with local partners and institu-tions as well as functioning communication are essential here. gender-specific approaches are necessary in order to advise both male and female producers appropriately and successfully. using new media (internet, radio)

17DisCussion

facilities supports knowledge and information transfer and the achievement of long-term behavioral changes for post-harvest protection. on a related note, the subject of the duration of projects was raised; project cycles are often too short, as the process of change needs time.

Capacity development relating to post-harvest protec-tion should also be geared towards a value chain approach and tailor training and further education measures to the needs of the various stakeholders. Promoting exchange and cooperation between producers and other stakehold-ers in the value chain is important, as many losses occur

precisely at the interfaces of the value chain. A combina-tion of applied research and practical training will contin-ue to be regarded as a central aspect of a successful train-ing and consultancy plan. for insight into existing advice and training materials, the fAo portal TECA – Technolo-gies and practices for small agricultural producers – and the fAo Information Network on Post-harvest Operations are recommended. these provide good opportunities to find out about existing training materials, to exchange these free of charge and to make further contact with the authors.

18 DisKussionen

food losses are serious both economically and environ-mentally because investments in them in the form of cash, inputs, labour and natural resources has already taken place and are all for nothing. stemming the tide of these losses is, therefore, essential to boost productivity in ag-riculture and meet the growing demand for agricultural produce while natural resources become ever scarcer. experiences from the 1980s and 1990s, when national governments and donor organisations were still carrying

out activities on the issue of post-harvest protection, are available in ample measure and need to be analysed and appraised. new approaches are called for on account of the changed settings: post-harvest losses occur at various points in agricultural value chains and, therefore, require the involvement of many different actors as well as the application of a range of technologies and procedures to achieve significant reductions.

4. Conclusion

19ConCLusion

Decades of declining investment in rural areas form the structural breeding ground for food losses. next to a lack of infrastructure, continuously low producer prices over the last decades prevented producers from investing in storage facilities, etc. now, with producer prices rising, there is a prospect that small producers will be encouraged to finally make such investments again.

effective measures can only be devised by thoroughly ana-lysing the root causes of food losses. new research findings in the field of biology and behaviour of harmful organisms have enabled the development of effective and environ-mentally sound procedures for reducing losses in stored goods. in order to disseminate these findings, new forms of cooperation with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and development institutions are needed. technology transfer is only successful if the participating partners can arrange it between them and the various in-terests are negotiated constructively. this applies particu-larly to the protection of intellectual property rights and the provision of affordable and manageable technologies.

next to physical post-harvest losses, the quality of stored goods is gaining in importance. growing demand from consumers in emerging economies and urban centres is raising the bar in terms of product quality and fresh-ness. Value chains with low losses are important not only for plant products, but increasingly for animal and dairy products as well.

As post-harvest protection was very much neglected for many years, there is almost no reliable data on the extent and distribution of losses. new web-based information systems such as APhLis, which is being developed and maintained jointly with partner institutions in Africa, are a valuable tool for data collection, processing and the provision of transparent access to information of practical relevance.

Capacity development, education and training for small producers are of fundamental importance in successfully reducing food losses. in this respect, too, research and training establishments should cooperate closely so that the latest findings are available to small producers and are applied. in doing this, it is important to weigh up whether individual or collective storage systems are more suitable for cutting losses and to consider how collective systems can be organised so that they are accepted by producers.

there are many causes for post-harvest losses, which is why a variety of appropriate solutions is required to re-duce them. the expert conference served to bring the key players in germany together and to raise the profile of the issue, as well as to promote future cooperation.

Annex20

5. Annex

9:30 Welcome by GIZ and conference organisers

Stephan Krall, GIZ, Division 45 – Rural Development and Agriculture

9:40 Introduction and presentation of the issue from a development policy perspective

Andre Fabian, BMZ Division 314, Rural Development and Global Food Security

10:00 GIZ experiences from previous projects on post-harvest protection and food security:

what is planned, what is running now and what have we learnt?

Heike Ostermann and Agnes Ndomo, GIZ, Sector project Sustainable Resource Management

in Agriculture (NAREN)

10:30 Experiences of applied research into post-harvest protection from the Julius Kühn-Institut

Cornel Adler, Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for

Ecological Chemistry, Plant Analysis and Stored Product Protection

11:00 Coffee

11:30 Experiences of post-harvest issues from Deutsche Welthungerhilfe

Ute Latzke, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe

12:00 African Post Harvest Losses Information System (APHLIS)

Marc Bernard, German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Private sector experiences and initiatives

Richard Clemens, food technology group in VDMA

14:30 Group discussions (including coffee break):

1. Rural infrastructure

2. Technology transfer

3. Capacity and organizational development

16:00 Presentation and discussion of outcomes

16:45 Closing remarks

17:00 Conference ends

Programm

21Annex

Dr. Cornel Adler Julius Kühn-InstitutDaniela Bartels Universität HamburgMarc Bernhard Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE)Erich Birner BASFUlrich Boysen GIZDr. Richard Clemens Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA)Dr. Stefan Endepols Bayer CropScienceAndre Fabian Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit (BMZ)Kathrin Fochtmann GIZEva Hain Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE)Dr. Gerhard Jakob DETIA DEGESCH GmbHDr. Stephan Krall GIZStefanie Kirse GIZUte Latzke Deutsche WelthungerhilfeDr. Inga Mewis Humboldt-Universität BerlinBernhard Lutz ConsultantDr. Heike Ostermann GIZEsther Pfeifer GIZDr. Maria Schinke Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz (BMELV)Dr. Bruno Schuler GIZDr. Bernhard Walter Brot für die Welt Dr. Klemens van de Sand GermanwatchMartina Claus Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA)Dr. Herwig Hahn GIZDominik Schmid GIZCharlotte Junghans GIZDr. Martin Baumgart Gut OstlerDr. Agnes Ndomo Julius Kühn-InstitutJohanna Binder GIZKatharina Eiden GIZConstanze Ahrendt Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA)Björn Schildberg Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit (BMZ)Birgit Wilhelm World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)Theresa Endres AVRDC The World Vegetable Center - Mali (CIM)Sandra Weißbrodt GIZDr. Alberto Camacho GIZMatthias Schwappacher BayWaDr. Martin Märkl Bayer CropScienceJens Künster GIZRainer Gsell DSVJoseph Ngulube Gut OstlerJürgen Fechter KFW

List of participants

22 Annex

Key websites

1. FAO website http://www.fao.org/index_en.htm

2. FAO website Post Harvest www.fao.org/inpho/en

3. FAO TECA website for advice materials http://teca.fao.org/

4. VDMA film on India www.e-agriculture.org/news/runetwork-business- model-integrating-icts-and-agriculture-value-chains- smallholder-farmers-ugan

5. RUN www.runetwork.org/html/en/pages/about.html

6. GIZ website: Rural development http://www.giz.de/de/leistungen/252.html

PowerPoint presentations the presentations are available online at: www.giz.de/themen/de/35174.htm

Sector Project „Sustainable Management of Resources in Agriculture"

Page 1

Fachgespräch „Nahrungsmittelverluste gehen uns alle an -

Neue Herausforderungen für die internationale Zusammenarbeit"

- Eine Wissenswerkstatt -

28. Juni 2012

Uni-Club Bonn,

Agnès F. Ndomo

Erfahrungen der GIZ im

Nacherntemanagement

1980-2010

Sector Project „Sustainable Management of Resources in Agriculture"

Page 1

Erfahrungen der GIZ im Bereich Nachernteschutz

Fachgespräch „Nahrungsmittelverluste gehen uns alle an -

Neue Herausforderungen für die internationale Zusammenarbeit" - Eine Wissenswerkstatt -

28. Juni 2012 Uni-Club Bonn,

Dr. Heike Ostermann

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.aphlis.net

APHLIS

African Postharvest Losses Information System

www.aphlis.net

Nahrungsmittelverluste gehen uns alle an - neue Herausforderungen für die

internationale Zusammenarbeit

Bonn 28 Juni 2012

Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung

Marc Bernard – BLE (323)

1

• Was sind Vorräte/ Vorratsschädlinge ? Größte Probleme?

• Kritische Ansatzpunkte

1. Insekten und Mykotoxine

2. Insektendicht lagern, hermetisch/Vakuum

3. Pflanzeninhaltstoffe

4. Diatomeenerde

• Fazit

Cornel Adler

Julius Kühn-Institut Institut für ökologische Chemie, Pflanzen-

analytik und Vorratsschutz, Berlin

Bonn, 28.06.2012 Erfahrungen des Julius Kühn-Instituts

in der angewandten Forschung zum

Nachernteschutz

Nahrungsmittelmaschinen und Verpackungsmaschinen

Nahrungsmittelmaschinen und Verpackungstechnik gegen

Nahrungsmittelverluste:

Erfahrungen und Ansätze des

deutschen Maschinenbaus

Richard Clemens, VDMA – 28. Juni 2012

Nachernteschutz Maßnahmen in der Projektarbeit der Welthungerhilfe

33

Ute Latzke, Referentin Ernährungssicherung, Welthungerhilfe, FG KnowledgeXchange

Published byDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Sustainable Management of Resources in Agriculture (NAREN)

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Authors and editingHeike Ostermann, Johanna Binder and Esther Pfeiffer DesignJeanette Geppert, Frankfurt

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Photo creditscover © istockphoto, Black hands with corn - Claudiadp.3 © istockphoto, sugar cane - africa924p 4. © GIZ, Johanna Binder p.6 © istockphoto, Sweet corn harvesting - intstp.14 © fotolia, Marche Alimentaire - Utopiap.17 © GIZ, Johanna Binderp.18 © GIZ, Klaus Wohlmann

As per: October 2012

GIZ is responsible for the content of this publication.

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