Post-Harvest losses - A hidden barrier to nutrition security in Pakistan

Abstract

Dear Sir/Madam

Despite being an agrarian economy, Pakistan faces a serious nutrition crisis, marked by the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and rising overweight/obesity. According to the National Nutrition Survey 2018, 40.2% of children under five are stunted, 17.7% are wasted and 28.9% are underweight. At the same time, nearly 10% are overweight and more than half are anaemic. This alarming situation is closely linked to food insecurity. (1)

One hidden cause of nutrition insecurity is post-harvest food loss, which reduces the availability and affordability of healthy food options, thereby worsening malnutrition. The Asian Development Bank estimates that nearly 30–40% of fruits and vegetables and about 15% of grains are lost before consumption, with losses worth around US$4  billion.(2) These losses result from poor harvesting methods, lack of infrastructure such as cold storage, inadequate packaging and poor handling and transportation. (3)

Addressing post-harvest losses requires improvements in the way food is stored and transported. One solution is the use of off-grid, solar-powered cold storage units to increase the shelf life of perishable produce without relying on electricity. Such innovations have shown success in Kenya, where farmers can sell fresher produce at better prices (4). In India, innovative startups have developed portable cold storage units that use thermal batteries instead of electricity (4). In Pakistan, where power shortages are common, adapting similar low-cost technologies could significantly reduce losses. Public–private partnerships and farmer associations could play a vital role in making these units available at the village level.

Improved packaging is another effective intervention. Replacing traditional jute bags with durable plastic crates provides better aeration and reduces damage during transport. Evidence from India shows that plastic crates reduced vegetable losses from 22% to 5% (5), while evidence from Ghana found that plastic crates with liners outperformed wooden crates.(6) For Pakistan, where fruits and vegetables are often transported in sacks, promoting plastic crates through subsidies could cut losses substantially.

Together, these interventions show that scalable, cost-effective solutions exist to address food insecurity caused by post-harvest losses. By investing in such innovations, Pakistan can strengthen food security, make nutritious food more accessible and help bridge the gap between agricultural production and nutritional outcomes, ensuring that the country’s harvest truly benefits its people.