Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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CONCLUSION
Despite the global progress in the field of food loss assessment and food loss reduction there
remain many gaps in the knowledge base and data available on on-farm food losses for the food
groups of interest in the OIC Member Countries. Past studies reported on food losses under a
variety of definitions and boundaries, sometimes undefined or overlapping. For the purposes of
this analytical study, a hybrid definition of on-farm losses was utilized, with boundaries from
production to farm gate (including growing, harvesting and on-farmhandling). Furthermore not
many concrete actions have been implemented in the OIC Countries to reduce losses and
improve food security, especially in the more perishable crops and animal products.
Of the 57 OIC Member Countries, published reports of on-farm losses for cereals are available
for only one study for six: Bangladesh (rice), Cameroon (rice), Iran (maize), Tajikistan (wheat),
Turkey (wheat) and Uganda (maize). Published reports of documented on-farm losses of
oilseeds and pulses are available for only two OIC Member Countries: Mali (groundnuts) and
Uganda (dry beans). The reported range of on-farm losses for roots and tuber crops in Nigeria
are relatively high. Published reports of on-farm losses are available for only five OIC member
Countries: Benin and Guyana (cassava), Nigeria (cassava and yams) and Tajikistan and Turkey
(potatoes).
For fruits, information is available only for seven OIC Member Countries: Bangladesh (litchis),
Benin (citrus and bananas), Guyana (mangoes), Morocco and Turkey (olives) and Egypt (citrus).
Published reports of on-farm losses of vegetables are available for only eight OIC Member
Countries, with the most of the studies on tomatoes and peppers for Bangladesh, Benin, Guyana,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt. There was one study that included on-farm losses of
cabbage and cauliflower in Bangladesh, two studies on leafy greens (amaranths) in Benin, and
one study that included on-farm losses of onions in Tajikistan.
Overall, the limited information for on-farm crop losses indicates that losses are lower for
cereals, pulses and oilseeds, which are less perishable crops, than for fruits and vegetable crops
in the OIC Member Countries. On-farm losses for perishables – the roots, tubers, fruits, and
vegetables – are high, with a range of losses that are similar to FAO estimates. Furthermore the
economic value of perishable crops is often much higher resulting in overall higher losses.
The highest levels of losses for meats and eggs are related to uncontrolled diseases for poultry
and eggs or unsoldmilk. Data is available for only eight OIC Member Countries for cattle, poultry,
milk and/or eggs. Overall, the limited information for on-farm losses for meats and dairy
products in the OIC Member Countries shows a range of losses that are similar to FAO estimates.
Very limited information is available on aquaculture fish losses, and the quantity on-farm losses
for fish is reported to be relatively low (0-5%) while quality losses can be very high (up to 70%).