The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN estimates that 1/3 of agricultural production, 1.3 billion tons, is lost before it can be consumed. A significant amount of these losses can be reduced with appropriate packaging, whether that be primary protection of processed food or crates (transportation packaging) that prevent crushing and bruising between farm and market. The developed world recognizes this and distribution losses are lower in developed countries (although food waste at the end of the distribution chain are much higher - but that is another article). Developing countries, especially those with insufficient infrastructure, often under-estimate the potential of packaging to reduce food loss. They need better packaging. An interesting manifestation of this is Ecanco (Egyptian Can Co.) production of steel 2-piece cans - virtually non-existent outside Africa, but lack of good roads make stronger cans necessary.
The potential to recover existing food that has already been expensed is substantial, relatively low cost, and rapid as it does not need to be realized with the next harvest. Primary methods are improved handling, transportation and storage, all of which are enhanced through packaging. Recovered food can be used to avert hunger and also as inputs for producing value-added products. For example, ripe bananas last days, but packaged banana chips can last weeks to months. New cottage industries will need packaging and packaging machinery - not much initially, but this is a huge potential market as it can be many cottage businesses. Economic development from the latter will help address root causes of poverty as well as hunger. So packaging can reduce hunger and poverty. Visitors of this website know that, but we need to get this message out to others.
WISSH has a Global Food Security program that has promoted a packaging to reduce post-harvest food losses for the past 20 years. Further information is available on the interview with Dr. Ken Marsh on this site, through www.wissh.org, www.drkenmarsh.com and by contacting Dr. Marsh at ken@drkenmarsh.com
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Kenneth S. Marsh, Ph.D., CPP
