For Food Security, Cut Crop Losses

When it comes to food security, do not believe the hype that says all we need is to grow ever-increasing quantities of food to prevent mass starvation. We already waste tons of food here in the U.S., which indicates that the problem is at least partly one of distribution, not supply.

Increased yields in developing countries will certainly help, but more  production isn't the be-all, end-all of a better food system.

Giving women the rights to the land they farm is one idea. Another is reducing crop loss with new and existing techniques and improvements in education.

As Dennis Rangi, executive director for international development at CABI, writes in SciDev.net, "Improving the productivity of small farms, in particular, is critical to ensuring food security. But this does not just mean helping farmers to increase yields. Equally important is supporting farmers to lose less of what they grow."

In many African countries, for example, nearly half of agricultural output is lost to pests and diseases. The maize weevil alone can decimate as much as 40 percent of stored crops. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture estimates that, in Uganda, crop diseases can account for a shattering $200 million in losses. In Tanzania, the larger grain borer eats its way through $91 million worth of stored maize every year.

Existing technologies and techniques can vastly help the situation. Improving quarantine of alien species and storage techniques, including drying, are a good starting point. Another key is educating farmers about plant health so they can better detect and eradicate pests.

As an example of the kind of intervention that helps, Rangi points to the Global Plant Clinic, a mobile project implemented by CABI in cooperation with local agronomists and extension agents who identify plant health issues and emerging pests and give farmers advice on management methods.

Photo: net_efekt on Flickr