ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Tuesday expressed its strenuous efforts to combat post-harvest food losses in Africa that could feed up tens of millions of people on the continent.
Global food losses and waste is estimated at 1.3 billion metric tonnes, which is equivalent to more than 30 percent of the total food produced for human consumption, and the waste could feed up about 1.6 billion people annually.
In Africa, a total quantity of 100 metric tonnes of food is estimated to be lost; and for grains alone the value of post-harvest loss is equivalent to approximately 4 billion U.S. dollars per year, according to an AU senior official.
Speaking at the opening of the 2nd edition of All Africa Postharvest Congress and Exhibition on Tuesday at the AU Headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, the Head of Rural Economy Division of the AU Commission for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Janet Edeme, said the loss of grains alone was enough to meet the annual food requirement of 48 million people.
She also told a press conference in connection with the Congress that the AU Commission has identified key strategic interventions with focus on technologies, infrastructures, access to market, and capacity building to address postharvest challenge on the continent.
Africa has remained the most food insecure continent in the world, with approximately one in 4 people undernourished, Edeme has noted.
Recalling that over the years, most African governments have focused on increasing production to meet the food and nutrition needs of the ever rising population which is estimated to reach 2.5 billion by the year 2050, through intensification of land use and agriculture inputs, the official said, "However, these approaches to food and nutrition security are challenged by the limited and also inelastic resources."
"The current food production system is unsustainable and climate change is also an additional challenge to sustainable agriculture in Africa," she added.
The food losses in Africa exacerbate food insecurity and have negative impacts on the environment through wasting land, water, farm inputs and energy used in producing food that is not consumed. In addition, postharvest losses reduce income to farmers and contribute to higher food prices.
Reiterating the commitment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to supporting AU's efforts in addressing postharvest challenges in Africa, Jocelyn Brown Hall, FAO Deputy Representative for Africa, underlined the need to focus also on agribusiness of small scale with participation of the youth within the efforts to deal with postharvest issues in Africa.
She stated that such actions of involving the youth with focus on small businesses help addressing food insecurity and also postharvest challenges on the continent.
The four-day event at the AU Headquarters aims at raising awareness on food losses and waste through data and information sharing; showcasing effective strategies, technologies, practices, initiatives for postharvest loss reduction; and monitoring and reviewing progress on postharvest loss reduction initiatives against set targets.
Exhibitors from different countries are participating in the exhibition introducing and promoting different technologies of agriculture.
