Q1  – What inspired you to focus on post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and why is this topic important?

Prof. Adekalu – I believe having sufficient food is one of the most important aspects of life and living. Postharvest loss or postharvest damage is inversely connected to food sufficiency and availability, based on this, it is a topic that cannot be overlooked

Q2 – Can you briefly explain what post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage is, and what causes it?

Prof. Adekalu – Postharvest loss relates to the loss of food in terms of quality or quantity after the food is harvested from the field. Several factors are responsible for this and these include a high amount of water in the food products with makes them susceptible to attack by microorganisms and other pests. Other factors include poor storage/preservation methods or techniques, food produce maturing and getting spoilt as part of their life span, insufficient or poor handling devices/methods used to move the product from the farm after harvest to the market or processing centres, etc.

Q3 – What are some of the most common crops that are affected by post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and what are some of the consequences of this loss?

Prof. Adekalu – All crops produce are susceptible to postharvest losses and damages. The nature of the crop however determines the level or amount of damage. Fruits and vegetables have higher figures in terms of these losses as their biological nature makes them more susceptible to damages/losses during and after harvests.

The consequences of these losses include that, the amounts of foods available for consumption and other industrial uses are drastically reduced as sometimes we have up to 70 percent losses recorded for some foods. A reduction in profit margin for the farmer is another consequence, in addition to sometimes insufficient raw material for industrial uses especially during off-season periods for some foods. This indirectly affects food processing industries from operating optimally and also affects employment rates and the possibility of profits from exporting such produce.

Q4 – What are some of the solutions that are being developed to prevent post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and how effective have these solutions been so far?

Prof. Adekalu – A lot of solutions being developed include adding value to fresh produce by processing them into other products (finished products). A lot of effort has also been put into the preservation and storage of foods. Simply drying most of the food produce at the point of harvest reduces these losses drastically.

Q5 – What are some of the challenges that farmers and food processors face in implementing these solutions, and what can be done to overcome these challenges?

Prof. Adekalu – A major challenge is the high cost of energy required to achieve some of these preservation solutions, in addition to the unstable power supply in the country. Apart from this, poor road networks to get food produce from the farm to the processing-centre is another challenge. Farmers and processors also have the challenge of tackling these challenges and embracing solutions as small groups. Hence, forming cooperatives and getting help/training from the government or other agencies can go a long way to help.

Q6 – How can consumers help to reduce post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and why is this important?

Prof. Adekalu – Consumers need to be informed about the magnitude of food losses we experience at the moment. They can also be involved in small-scale food preservation and storage techniques to reduce food losses. This is important because the lesser the losses, the more food for everyone at affordable prices.

Q7 – What role can technology play in reducing post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and what are some examples of successful technologies that have been developed?

Prof. Adekalu – The majority of the postharvest loss interventions are technology driven. Starting with the removal of moisture from food products by drying the products to various food preservation and storage interventions.

The recent application of the use of solar energy and the inclusion of  IoT devices have helped to increase success stories and reduce postharvest losses.

Q8 – How can policymakers and governments support efforts to reduce post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and what policies or initiatives have been successful in this regard?

Prof. Adekalu – Government/policymakers need to pay more attention to food losses and damages. First, they need to get information about the amount of these losses. Also, assisting farmers in selling off their produce quickly by creating good market sources and industries that use these products as soon as possible, having silos in different locations in the country. These silos are filled with grains that have been properly dried when in season and released for sale in off seasons thereby reducing losses and forcing down market prices. Simple storage techniques like the use of triple bags for storage of grains and subsidising the cost of preservation initiatives will also go a long way to help.

Q9 – What are some of the future trends or developments that we can expect to see in the area of post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and what impact will these have on agriculture and food security?

Prof. Adekalu – Future trends include the use of IoT devices in detecting food losses and damages and also monitoring losses during storage, drying, and other food preservation operations.

The use of solar energy is trending now and I see it taking centre stage in the future, especially in the tropics. The use of technology especially social media sources in identifying markets and sales of produce is another option that I see being leveraged for quick sales of food produce to help reduce postharvest losses.

Q10 – What message would you like to share with our readers regarding post-harvest loss or post-harvest damage, and what can each of us do to make a difference?

Prof. Adekalu – Postharvest losses are real and one of the major stumbling blocks to us achieving food being available to all at affordable rates. We should all consider this and find ways to make food losses as minimal as possible.

Q11 – FUN QUESTION: If you could travel back in time to any point in history, where would you go and why?

Prof. Adekalu – The Netherlands. This is because they have not only enough food but good food for all. Their government is not only concerned about food losses at every level in the country but also play an active role in curbing it.