2. Postharvest systems and food safety
Poor postharvest management and lack of knowledge about
required technologies, quality standards and food safety
protocols severely limit many producers’ access to markets.
Improper harvest and postharvest procedures in developing
countries result in losses that amount to more than 50 percent
for perishable horticultural crops. Quality deterioration due to
improper harvest and postharvest operations causes short
shelf life, rejection by consumers, and contamination risks.
While vertical integration has meant that larger producers
and wholesalers in the horticultural industry do most of their
postharvest management “in-house,” smaller producers and
firms often lack access to critical postharvest knowledge,
technology and infrastructure. Research and development of
appropriate postharvest technologies for small and mediumsized
producers, value-added processing techniques, food
safety protocols and quality standards for horticultural
commodities can help to reduce postharvest losses, improve
food safety, and contribute to increased producer incomes and
the subsequent development of rural economies.