Scaling Up Post-Harvest Management Innovations for Grain Legumes in Africa
Programs and partnerships
Lead institution(s)
Summary
A large part of sub-Saharan Africa's population is chronically food insecure, while more than 30% of the food produced is wasted due to post-harvest losses.Read more
A large part of sub-Saharan Africa's population is chronically food insecure, while more than 30% of the food produced is wasted due to post-harvest losses. This project will address the problem by taking pilot-tested, innovative post-harvest technologies and management practices for grain legumes to scale in Mozambique and Burkina Faso. Post-harvest solutions for better livelihoods The project, led by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, will field-test delivery models for cowpea and soybean: -Improved threshers - machines that separate grain from the plant -Crop storage methods, including the triple-layer Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags -Other post-harvest management practices, such as agro-dealer networks, integrated service providers, cooperatives, and small commercial farmers Researchers will identify how post-harvest technologies can alleviate women's workloads and contribute positively to their livelihoods. The project will use business models that ensure long-term economic, environmental, and social sustainability. It will also leverage partnerships between the public and private sectors, farmers' organizations, and other social entrepreneurs. By the end of 36 months, the project will reach 7,000 smallholder farmers. It also has the potential to benefit an additional 60,000 farmers by 2020. It will engage 60 youth as service providers and increase incomes through farmer-market linkages. These innovations are expected to reduce post-harvest losses from the current 30% to 10% for the two crops. The research team will share evidence and lessons from the scaling up efforts to improve implementation in the field, and inform policy change and investment.
Research outputs
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Potential solutions for post-harvest management of agricultural value chains include: Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags; metal silos; chemical use; hermetic cocoons; threshers; and, plastic barrels among others. This detailed report looks at effective ways of scaling up innovative post-harvest technologies (PHTs) such as threshers and PICS bags; and assesses select delivery models for the innovations. Towards accelerating adoption of PICS and threshers, the project established better methods through training, demonstrations, and structuring the distribution system through use of agro-dealers. It determined that demonstrations of threshers with stakeholders was most effective to incentivize procurement and use of the machines.
The project worked with the women’s co-operative Nossara, assisting them to recruit new members in nearby towns to expand their successful soybean enterprise. Previously Nossara had only five women members in Ruace (Mozambique). Today there are more than twenty, and they have expanded into three new communities: Magige, Lioma and Gurùé. Members pay a small fee to join, then receive knowledge and support on how to make various soy-based foods, which they can introduce to their neighbors and develop the market further throughout the region. In addition to soy product sales, Nossara has begun piloting a small initiative, offering literacy classes for women in the community.
This one-page brochure provides a list of suppliers/fabricators trained in the manufacture of the multi-crop thresher (for cowpea, rice, sorghum and maize) in Burkina Faso.
