Group of women in Tajikistan canning fruit

Food loss reduction

An astonishing 14 per cent of the food produced in the world is lost before it ever goes on sale. With about 838 million people experiencing hunger worldwide in 2021, no amount of food loss is acceptable.

Food loss harms the livelihoods, nutrition and food security of millions of small-scale farmers. Not only are they unable to consume or sell the food they’ve worked hard to produce, but the investments they make in terms of time, money, labour and farm inputs – such as water, inorganic and organic fertilizer and seed – are also lost. Considering the resources needed to grow food, the economic and environmental costs of food loss are very high.

One of the main causes of food being lost before it reaches consumers is a lack of proper storage, processing facilities or transportation options. By finding the right post-harvest solutions, educating farmers and ensuring access to equipment, it’s possible to reduce food loss dramatically. This leads to higher earnings for farmers, nutritious food for themselves and their communities and less wastage of natural resources.

Investing in food loss reduction could vastly improve global food security while drastically reducing the pressure on the environment.

What IFAD does

IFAD-supported projects teach farmers how to reduce food loss to increase household food security or to have a surplus for sale.
We invest in cold storage facilities for perishable goods, as well as grain drying and storage facilities. For example, hermetic bags prevent moisture, insects and microorganisms from damaging grain.
We also invest in rural access roads and climate-resilient markets so food can reach buyers quickly, and throughout the year
We promote technologies that make it faster, easier, cheaper and less laborious to process foods.
We use the FAO Food Loss Analysis methodology to identify critical points at which food loss occurs and understand how best to reduce it.
Through a partnership with FAO and WFP, we maintain an online community of practice where experts exchange ideas and knowledge on how to reduce food loss.