Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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Food (on campus). The program includes the topic of on-farm losses, and provides details on
production practices, pest management and improving yields. “While in developing and
transition countries food losses mainly happen post-harvest, in the urban and wealthier
communities good food is wasted in retail stages of the supply chain and by consumers.
Optimising the ‘farm to fork’ chain can contribute significantly to food security and sustainable
food production.”
Several e-courses and e-learning programs are available annually via the internet:
 Global Postharvest Loss Prevention: Fundamentals, Technologies, and Actors is a
program offered by ADMI / University of Illinois managed by Coursera.
 Global Postharvest E-learning Program offered by PEF. The program focuses on fruits,
vegetables, cereals, pulses in different countries including ten OIC Member Countries
(Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Togo, Uganda).
 EuroTier in Hanover, Germany and featured an event series “Animal Production in
Eastern Europe and Central Asia” but also covers countries of Central Asia, covering
Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
 World Poultry Science Association offered a program on the Potential for Poultry
Production in Developing Countries.
World Veterinary Education in Production Animal Health (WVEPAH) is a new branch of the
“European Association for Veterinary Specialization” (EAVS) created the “European School for
Advanced Veterinary Studies”. ESAVS and is also affiliated with and supported by the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and includes OIE standards and regulations in its training
programs.
5.3 Resources Needed for Reducing On-Farm Losses
Along with the projects and programs listed in Section 5, the OIC Member Countries have an
opportunity to build on existing activities or to launch supporting programs. Many more
resources are needed in terms of technology, farmers’ training to address consumer preferences
and investment costs, institutional supports to assist growers to manage and adapt to changing
worldwide trends and costs for reducing losses, and for improved education, communication
and knowledge sharing.
5.3.1 Technology
Adaptive research and extension programs can bring proven technologies for reducing on-farm
food losses to the target groups in the OIC member countries. Universities, research centers and
NGOs in the OIC Member Countries take part in Feed the Future Innovation Lab projects, and
there are on-going opportunities to partner with existing projects and plan new ones, targeted
to on-farm loss issues for specific crops and foods. The types of needed technologies will depend
on the crop/food product and scale of operation, so any research into new technologies should
include consideration of local conditions, barriers or constraints and cost/benefits.