The Agro-Chain greenhouse gas Emissions (ACE) calculator – rapid climate impact assessment of food loss reducing interventions - July 20 2022

The Agro-Chain greenhouse gas Emissions (ACE) calculator provides rapid assessment of food supply climate impact. It is especially adequate for estimating net effect of loss-reducing interventions in supply chains. This webinar gives an introduction to the (upgraded) calculator and some application examples. The calculator is freely available for your own studies.

Research advances in value-added agroprocessing of pomegranate fruit in South Africa: opportunities and challenges - May 25 2022

This presentation highlights science-based approaches to transforming pomegranate fruit parts to more valuable states and innovating pomegranate fruit into specialty products valuable in the cosmetic, food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Overall, research from Stellenbosch

Iringa Hope successful practices for profitability & well being of smallholder farmers in Tanzania Centers - March 23 2022

In this webinar, leaders of the Iringa Hope cooperative will describe activities and accomplishments resulting from its support of the adoption of improved agronomy and post-harvest practices by its cooperative members. These activities are supported by Micro Finance funding through the cooperative organization.

Established in 2010, Iringa Hope supports its cooperative members with education on best agronomic practices, aggregate purchasing of input supplies, agricultural financing, aggregate grain storage and marketing, and training for smallholder farmers in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. As an active participant in the YieldWise Initiative (a project of the Rockefeller Foundation), Iringa Hope has introduced improved post-harvest practices to its members and assisted members to implement those practices. Importantly, these efforts were undertaken in concert with complementary agronomic and financing innovations being pursued by Iringa Hope through its Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS) and Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS). The economic importance of this integrated approach is key to Iringa Hope’s successful documented economic performance. As will be illustrated during this webinar, economic modeling has been instrumental in enabling decision makers to anticipate and maximize economic outcomes.

Post-Harvest Loss Mitigation of Grains, Shea Nut & Perishable Crops - February 25 2022

Iowa State University webinar on PHL mitigation of grains, shea nut and perishable crops: Student Research Updates:

Identifying critical drivers of PHL and predicting their impact on mango, tomato, and maize PHL

Hory Bakand Chikez: Iowa State University

Predicting the performance of hermetic storage bag technology

Ma Cristine Concepcion Ignacio: Iowa State University

Preserving the value of shea nuts for improved livelihoods

George Obeng-Akrofi: Iowa State University

Mango Preservation - Technologies & Innovations for Food Loss Reduction in Smallholder Zero-Loss Centers - 3 March 2021

Webinar Presenter: Dr. Jane Ambuko

Professor Jane Ambuko conducted a webinar focused on the Kenyan mango value chain. After the presentation, she took questions about her extensive work in the mango value chain and with regard to smallholder zero-loss centers.

Edible Coatings in Fruit Preservation - 9 Feb. 2021

Webinar Presenter: Dr. Olaniyi Fawole

Once harvested, fruits and vegetables continue to live on their energy reserve, resulting in a loss of quality and short shelf life. Consequently, the risk of deterioration of produce during transport to distant markets is very high. Extending the shelf life of produce even by a few days has enormous economic potential for the South African export industry. Thus, the search for novel strategies and technologies that can help maintain quality remains a top priority to stakeholders in the industry. Edible coatings present themselves as a novel, green postharvest solution that has the potential to maintain quality and extend shelf life. The presentation focused on the ability of coatings to reduce shrivelling and prolong the storage life of plums.

Loss & Waste Reduction in the Cassava, Tomato, & Maize Value Chains

Members of the Consortium from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) hosted a Consortium webinar series event focused on sustainable food system interventions. Topics discussed included:

Cassava Mechanisation in Africa: the role of the TEK Mechanical Cassava Harvester

Techno-economic Assessment of Low-Cost Drying Systems for Reduction of Post-Harvest Losses in maize grain in Ghana

Value Addition and Product Development from Edible Waste of Tomato, Maize and Cassava

Presenting Experts

• PROFESSOR EMMANUEL Y. H. BOBOBEE (PhD)

• PROFESSOR FAUSTINA DUFIE WIREKO-MANU (PhD)

• JOSEPH OPPONG AKOWUAH (POST-HARVEST ENGINEER)

Consortium Event @ World Food Prize's Borlaug Dialogue

This event was the Consortium's monthly webinar and a Borlaug Dialogue side event held on 15 October 2020. It addressed food system vulnerabilities and the need for long-term research efforts and innovative technology investments to deliver healthy food. Panelists included:

1. Dr. Salley Rockey - Executive Director of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR)

2. Dr. Rajshree Agarwal - Professor and Director of the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets at the University of Maryland

3. Dr. José Caixeta - Professor and Director of ESALQ-LOG at the University of São Paulo

4. Dr. Jane Ambuko - Professor University of Nairobi

5. Dr. Dirk Maier - Professor and Director of the Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction

Major Update to Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emission Calculator

Food loss reduction and sustainable development, particularly mitigating climate impacts, in food chains are priorities in achieving sustainable development goals. An increasing number of datasets and methods on food-related greenhouse gas emissions are available, as well as food loss datasets. Some aggregated assessments estimate global food loss and waste associated with GHG emissions at about 5% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions. Prioritizing interventions with positive trade-offs between food loss reduction and GHG emission reduction are preferred.

Assessing effects of food loss and waste on reducing interventions on GHG emissions requires analyses at the value chain level; most commonly Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are used for this purpose. This webinar introduces the Agro-Chain Greenhouse Gas Emission (ACGE) calculator that can be used with substantially less effort than conducting full LCAs.

Presenters

Jan Broeze - Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands

Heike Axmann - Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands

Consortium Virtual Event @ AGRF

Effectiveness of Agri-Business Incubation in Emerging Markets:

Accelerating small & medium enterprise engagement in food value chains

Effective urban food markets must achieve two goals to serve Africa’s future: to provide essential food supplies and to be economic engines for growth. Excessive post-harvest loss is a chronic symptom of ineffective food supply chains. While improved technologies can reduce loss, sustained implementation of such tools has been disappointing. Dynamic small and medium enterprise (SME)-based food systems are needed to achieve sustained, scaled adoption. Based upon field research and experience, including the recent YieldWise Initiative, this session will document catalytic actions needed to accelerate SME engagement in food value chains. Initiative within and across the public, social and private sectors will be emphasized.

Panelists

• Ms. Betty Kibaara, Director, Food Initiative Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya

• Ms. Itiweni Luhwago, Director of Operations, Iringa Hope, Tanzania

• Ms. Tei Mukunya, Founder and CEO, Azuri Health, Kenya

• Dr. Rajshree Agarwal, Director, Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets, University of Maryland, USA

• Dr. Steven Sonka, Associate Director, Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction, Iowa State University, USA

Webinar: Analyzing post-harvest loss in Kenya & Tanzania

Webinar: Innovations in Nutrition Security & Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Uganda

The deeply integrated partnership between Iowa State University and the communities and institutions in the Kamuli district of Uganda demonstrates a unique model for both development and philanthropy. This partnership has given rise to a host of innovative programs in the Kamuli district (agriculture, health, and education) and it represents a living laboratory for deeply integrated development interventions. The Consortium is directly involved in programs related to nutrition security and post-harvest loss reduction. Continue to the Nutrition Secuirty and Post-Harvest Loss Reductions webinar page.

Webinar: Food System Entrepreneurship, Economic Development, and the Scientific Method

Protocol Webinar

The first webinar in Consortium's monthly series was devoted to the release of a new loss and waste monitoring protocol developed by Wageningen University and Research. There were about 200 in attendance and it was recorded on May 28th, 2020. Continue to the protocol webinar page.

Protocol Training Webinar

This is the Consortium's first online training for the newly released food loss and waste monitoring protocol developed by Wageningen University and Research. The webinar steps the participants through the protocol and accompanying excel document. There is about 45 minutes of training and about 45 minutes of questions and answers about the protocol and how it might be used.