admin | September 13, 2021
Post-harvest losses in food production in Africa are a very serious problem, and fisheries are no exception. Post-harvest losses in small-scale fishing enterprises in Africa are extremely high, with estimates varying between 20% and 50% of the catch. The majority of losses are termed ‘economic’ losses, meaning that fish sellers lose money because the fish they sell are of lower quality due to insect infestation or breakage. The burden of losses makes life much more difficult for those who rely on fishing and fish processing for their livelihoods.
All over Africa, projects are addressing the issue of post-harvest losses in fisheries. This script tells the stories of three women in three different countries. All three are involved in projects which focus on the use of solar dryers to dry fish. The stories derive from projects managed by the Sustainable Fisheries Livelihood Program (SFLP), an international partnership with operations in twenty-five countries in West and Central Africa. SFLP, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other organizations are working with communities to decrease the burden of post-harvest losses in fisheries.