Preventing Postharvest Loss: an Initiative at the University of Illinois

R.S. Gates, Ph.D., P.E.July 16, 2012

AGENDA

• Future food security challenges

• Several “views” of post-harvest loss

• The ADM Institute and its contributions

Global Food Demand Is Predicted to Increase 70% by 2050 (FAO; 2009)

Dietary changes in developing countries

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

1964/66 1964/66-1997/99 Growth1997/99-2030 Growth

kcal

/cap

ita/d

ay

Per capita food consumption

Global Crop Demand Is Estimated to Double From 2005 to 2050 (NAS, 2011)

2030 Food Demands Require About 200 Million More Hectares (McKinsey; 2011)

McKinsey Global Institute’s Resource RevolutionCommodity Price Changes Tell Interesting Story (McKinsey; 2011)

AGENDA

• Future food security challenges

• Several “views” of post-harvest loss

• The ADM Institute and its contributions

X

PHL Varies by Region (FAO; 2011)

kgper year

Per capita food waste and food loss (kg/year)

DATA!

Cereals

Roots & Tubers

Oilseeds &

Pulses

Fruit &

Vegetables

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

22%

49%

30%

66%

Post-harvest loss estimates in South & Southeast Asia

consumptiondistributionprocessing and packagingpostharvest handling and storageagricultural production

PHL Varies by Commodity (FAO; 2011)

Cereal Losses Across the World (FAO, 2011)

hot/humidmaize small

warmmaize large

arid/desertsorghum

small

arid/desertmillet small

hot/humidrice small

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

24.2%

16.8% 18.2%

14.6%16.9%

Generalized loss profiles for major grains in Eastern and Southern Africa

market storagetransport to marketstoragetransport to storewinnowingshelling/threshingdryingharvesting/field drying

PHL Varies Across Growing Conditions(IBRD/WB; 2011)

harvesting threshing drying storage milling0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

0.89% 0.99%

3.16%

3.74%

4.78%

0.85%

1.31%

3.47%

5.46%

2.74%

Rice: Total post-harvest losses

AsiaChina

PHL Varies Between Countries:For Same Crop (FAO; 2002)

Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

22.68%

25.28%

Estimated post-harvest loss of black gram in India

grading & repackingtransportstoragethreshingdryingharvesting

PHL Varies Between States Within One Country (ADM Institute; 2012)

A More Specific Perspective:Rice in SE Asia (IRRI; 2011)

ConsumptionCrop

In SE Asia, physical losses range from 15-25%.

Quality losses range from 10-30% (loss in value)

Reducing PHL and Increasing YieldsHave High Potential (McKinsey; 2011)

Little Attention Is Devoted to PHL and Yields (McKinsey; 2011)

Why Reduce Post-harvest Loss?Some Hypotheses

• Estimates suggest 1/3 of agricultural production is “wasted” and doesn’t reach food consumer

• Investment required to reduce PHL could be modest

• Technology advances should make reduction more feasible and less expensive

• Arable land, water, energy are in limited supply – reducing PHL can lessen pressure on scarce resources

AGENDA

• Future food security challenges

• Several “views” of post-harvest loss

• The ADM Institute and its contributions

X

X

Fall, 2010 Initial conversationsJan 19, 2011 Official announcement & celebration

$10 Million giftIndia/Brazil emphasisStaple crops

Feb, 2011 Seed research efforts initiated$0.4 million in funding allocated

Mar /Jul, 2011 Visioning processesFall, 2011 RFP issued

$2.1 million in funding allocatedThroughout 2011 – Prospecting for collaborating entities

Timeline of the ADM Institute

Vision Statement

Key elements include:

• To be an international information and technology hub

• To encompass technologies, practices and systems

• To focus on staple crops in key agricultural domains

The ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss

Research Themes

Measurement & technology development

Systems informatics & analysis

Policy analysis

Education, training, & information transfer

• Mary-Grace Danao• Measurement, Documentation and Postharvest Processing for the Prevention of

Postharvest Losses of Soybeans and Corn• Peter Goldsmith

• Managing Grain Losses in Continuous Cropping Systems of the Tropics through On-Farm or Cooperative Storage

Measurement & technology

development

• Luis F. Rodríguez• Concurrent Science, Engineering, and Technology for the Prevention of Postharvest

Loss

Systems informatics &

analysis

• Kathy Baylis• Supply Chain Policy and Strategy Analysis for Prevention of Postharvest Loss

• Mary Arends-Kuenning• The Nature of Small Landholder Agriculture in the Brazilian States of Sao Paulo and

Parana and Implication for Understanding Postharvest Loss

Policy analysis

• Barry Pittendrigh • Education, Training and Information Transfer to Minimize Postharvest Losses –

Scientific Animations Without Borders

Education, training &

information transfer

• Ximing Cai• Appropriate Technology Development and System Integration for Post-Harvest Loss

Prevention

2011 Funded Projects

Activities (Jan-Mar 2012)

UFVDevelopedpartnerships

Measured harvest losses (3 Brazilian states)

Gathering information on storage conditions

Gathering information on tracking trucks

Identified farm for our silo bag feasibility test in June

Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais

Gathering climate data for storability risk calculations

Measurement, Documentation and Postharvest Processing for the Prevention of Postharvest Losses of Soybeans and Corn (Danao, Gates, Eckhoff, Paulsen, Rausch)

Measuring pre-harvest, combine header, and threshing/cleaning losses

UFVUIUC UFGUFMT

Measurements from soybean harvest (February 2012) and corn harvest (July 2012) completed.

Using a standard method for measuring harvest losses developed by EMBRAPA,

faculty and students traveled from Jataí, Goaís to Sinop, Mato Grosso (1,034 km) to

conduct field measurements.

Combine Mean MC [%]

Estimated yield at 13% MC [kg/ha]

Total loss [sacks/ha]

Loss as % of yield at 13% MC

Combine speed [km/h]

S2 11.0 4296 2.47 3.5 4.0

S6 18.0 3814 0.89 1.4 5.5

S7 16.2 3421 1.26 2.2 4.2

Quantity and quality loss assessments in graneleiros & trucks; exploring use of silo bags.

How can we increase efficiency in graneleiros?

Can silo bags serve as temporary storage?

How can we minimize losses during transport?

Our Aspirational Contributions

Investable implementation

framework

Measurement of loss

Quantum jump technology

Challenge

ResourcesReference

• ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss. (2012). Mapping the production system and the supply chain and study the crop losses of black gram.

• FAOSTAT. (2012). Crops production. Retrieved from http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor

• Grolleaud, M. (2002). Post-harvest losses: Discovering the full story. Rome: FAO.• Gustavsson, J., Cederberg, C., Sonesson, U., van Otterdijk, R., & Meybeck, A. (2011).

Global food losses and food waste. Rome: FAO.• Hodges, R. J., Buzby, J. C., & Bennett, B. (2010). Postharvest losses and waste in

developed and less developed countries: opportunities to improve resource use. Journal of Agricultural Science, 149 (51), 37-45.

• International Rice Research Institute. (2011). Postharvest technologies, learning alliances, and the private sector [powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://aseanfoodsecurityfoodproduction.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/11-rfs-alfred-schmidley-postharvesr-technologies-learning-alliances-and-the-private-sector.pdf

• McKinsey Global Institute. (2011). Resource revolution: Meeting the world’s energy, materials, food, and water needs.

• Tilman, D., Balzer, C., Hill, J., & Befort, B.L. (2011). Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(50), 20260-20264.

• World Bank. (2011). Missing food: The case of postharvest grain losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank.

Director: Steve Sonka -- ssonka@illinois.edu

http://postharvestinstitute.illinois.edu