Unpacking Postharvest Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Analysis

Hippolyte Affognon, Christopher Mutungi, Pascal Sanginga and Christian Borgemeister

World Development, 2015, vol. 66, issue C, 49-68

Abstract: Reducing postharvest losses (PHL) is a key pathway to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, knowledge of PHL magnitudes is limited. A meta-analysis has been conducted to expose nature and magnitude of PHL, and the kinds of interventions that have been attempted to mitigate the losses. Findings reveal inadequacies of loss assessment methodologies that result in inaccurate PHL estimates. Moreover, losses are often economic rather than physical product losses. Overall, technologies for loss mitigation fail to address dynamics of supply chains. Consequently, rigorous PHL assessment using systematic methodologies, as well as holistic approaches for losses mitigation are in need.

Keywords: postharvest; losses; innovations; value chains; sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (72)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:66:y:2015:i:c:p:49-68

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.08.002

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