Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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characterizing and monitoring major insect pests and bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases.
AVRDC also evaluates resistant lines, biological control methods, and cultural practices to
develop integrated management technologies for major pests, and is a partner in developing the
CGIAR Systemwide Program on Integrated Pest Management (IITA 2010).
5.1.1. International Projects and Programs
Many projects, programmes and studies on food losses have been implemented or are
underway, mainly targeting staple foods or high value horticultural crops. Often the studies of
on-farm losses are a small part of comprehensive value chain analysis or value chain
development efforts.
FAO implemented a series of food loss assessments during 2010-2015 to determine the levels
and causes of food losses for various crops and food produced in several OIC member countries
including Turkey and Tajikistan. Field case studies recently performed on maize in Uganda, fish
in Indonesia, and horticultural crops in Guyana, and others are planned for dry beans and
sunflowers in Burkina Faso. The case studies include recommendations on measuring losses at
CLPs and implementing improved practices and cost effective technologies that will reduce
losses. The most recent fish loss assessment in Indonesia indicates that food chain actors have
taken up the recommendations (gentler handling, use of ice on farm, and more rapid marketing)
and losses for fish in Indonesia have been drastically reduced from 70% to 5-10%.
Other project may indirectly benefit the OIC Member Countries through their affiliation with
other regional organizations. For example, the OIC Member Countries who are also members of
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) benefit from theWorld Bank project
named the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program Adaptable Program Loan (APL)
(WAAPP-1C). This project is targeted at improving the enabling conditions for sub-regional
cooperation in the generation, dissemination, and adoption of agricultural technologies which
will improve their ability to reduce food losses in their respective countries by 1) strengthening
the institutional mechanisms and procedures for generating, disseminating, and adopting
improved agricultural technologies and tools at the national level; and 2) strengthening national
centers of specialization and strengthening of the research system and supporting demand-
driven technology generation, dissemination and adoption. This project $83 million and runs
from 2012-2016 in Niger, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
There are also examples of organizations in the OIC Member Countries providing technical
assistance to farmers in other OICMember Countries. Turkish dairy farmers through the Turkish
Technical Assistance Team (TIKA) provides technical assistance and training to members of the
Kamuli Dairy Farmers Association in Uganda.
G20 member nations including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey held a May 2015 meeting in
Istanbul. Ministers expressed their support to countries and international organizations in
promoting the implementation of the International Agreement on Responsible Investment in