Under- and malnutrition are major risk factors accounting for over 28 percent of all deaths in Africa, nearly three million people annually. It remains Africa’s most fundamental challenge for human welfare and economic growth.
Post-harvest losses (PHL) are a major factor in food shortages in Eastern Africa. Although the volume and impact of PHL are well-known, up to now little success has been achieved in reducing them. This failure is mainly due to the multitude of reasons for losses at all stages of complex food systems, with multiple actors involved. Moreover, these actors operate within social, political, economic and environmental contexts that are often insufficiently understood.