Food security a global concern

 By JAMES LARAKI

GLOBAL food security has recently reemerged as an important issue. 

This is because the world is faced with the prospect of feeding two billion people in the next two to three decades.

Recent social unrest associated with rising food prices in many parts of the globe is another reason it is on the agenda.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is also concerned about hunger affecting an estimated 870 million people in the world today.

Bring in the likely impacts of the changing climate on food production and the scenario does not get any better.

Reducing postharvest losses is increasingly seen as a means of improving available food supplies. 

Studies indicate that huge amounts of food are lost on the way from farmers to consumers.

The loss is substantial. It is estimated that nearly a third of the world’s agriculture produce wasted. 

It is also noted agriculture research and development efforts in the past focussed more on production, with little or no attention to postharvest savings.

PNG also needs to look at this seriously. We need to improve on postharvest activities and develop new methods. 

Postharvest activities include processing, preservation, storage, packaging, handling and transportation of agriculture produce after harvest. 

These activities can help us preserve our produce and add value. 

To achieve this, postharvest research is crucial because of the nature and type of agricultural commodities PNG produces.

These include root and tuber crops, vegetables, fruits and nuts, tree crops, sago, and livestock products. 

Most of these are to a large extent seasonally produced, perishable and bulky in nature. 

Most of what we produce is used domestically as food and livestock feed and some exported in unprocessed forms. With increasing food security concerns, we need to protect and raise the economic values of these commodities. 

In doing so, we can improve the status of farming communities who produce them.  

Work on processing local food products has been going on in the country for some time.

It is not new – we now need to make an effort to move it forward. 

We produce tonnes of staple crops such as sweet potato, Irish potato, bananas, yams, taro and cassava annually. 

Unfortunately very little or no processing is done for these crops. In many cases, a fair amount is wasted. 

We need to help growers to process them.

Processes such as product handling, cooling systems, storage, packaging, quality management, food hygiene and safety are equally important for preserving and enhancing the quality and value of products. 

Sweet potato, for example, is a major staple food crop in PNG, providing over 40% of total dietary intake. 

Current annual production is about three million tonnes with over 70% of this produced in the highlands. 

As a subsistence crop, most of the sweet potato grown was used as food and animal feed. 

But this is changing. An increasing amount is being sold at major urban markets in Lae and Port Moresby. 

A recent study indicated postharvest losses from farms to markets are high as a result of poor handling, storage and transportation. 

The story is the same for the huge amounts of fruits and vegetables we produce. 

These are highly perishable and huge losses are incurred during handling and transportation. 

We can avoid these losses through the introduction of simple processing technologies.

NARI recognises the need for and value of postharvest agricultural research for development in PNG.

It  has initiated a postharvest technology development and evaluation project. 

Postharvest research and development is now one of the national projects in NARI. 

The new laboratory facility at the Dr Ghodake Biotechnology Centre will enhance activities under this project.

Current activities under this project include the evaluation of milling, the cooking and eating qualities of food crops and developing products such as chips, crisps, peanut butter, jam, flour, ground spices, fruit juices and candies. 

Besides developing new products, important activities include assessing consumer acceptability and market studies.

NARI has also taken steps to link up with food companies such as Nestle and Paradise Foods to develop new products from local foods.  

NARI is collaborating with partners to develop and adapt techniques for reducing losses during handling, transportation, storage and marketing. – NARI

NARI also notes these efforts cannot be achieved own its own. 

Active participation and support from the private sector, policymakers, credit institutions, entrepreneurs, extension providers, training institutions, traders and farmers are essential in making an impact from postharvest research and development activities.

Such participation and support will go a long way in adding value to our abundant local produce and improvements could be achieved to available food supplies. – NARI