By Sunday Emmanuel

Professor Ademola Kabir Aremu, a Professor of Postharvest Engineering, Energy Studies and Environmental Management, University of Ibadan, has called for increased investment in postharvest engineering as a cost-effective strategy for reducing food losses and strengthening food security in Nigeria.

He made this call while delivering the University’s 618th Inaugural Lecture, the 15th in the 2025/2026 academic session, titled “Another Challenge: Crops, Crops Everywhere but Little Food on the Table: The Postharvest Engineer’s Struggles.”

“Despite increases in agricultural production over the years, millions of Nigerians still experience food insecurity because a significant proportion of harvested food never reaches consumers due to poor postharvest management.” Professor Aremu said.

He argued that many agricultural development initiatives have focused primarily on increasing food production while paying insufficient attention to postharvest operations such as processing, storage, transportation, preservation, and distribution, thereby limiting the impact of increased production on food security.

Professor Aremu identified postharvest losses as a major driver of food insecurity in developing countries, noting that inadequate infrastructure, poor storage systems, inefficient handling practices, and climate variability continue to undermine food availability.

He explained that while Nigeria’s agricultural policies seek to modernize food production, limited investment in postharvest engineering remains a significant obstacle to achieving those objectives. 

According to him, the discipline plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between food abundance and scarcity by improving processing, storage, and transportation systems.

Highlighting the scale of the challenge, the professor noted that although global food production is sufficient to feed the world’s growing population, nearly one-third of food produced is lost annually.

“Although global food production is sufficient for the growing population, approximately one-third is lost annually. In Sub-Saharan Africa, these losses occur largely before produce reaches the market, with Nigeria seeing particularly severe impacts on fruits, vegetables, and tubers” he said.

The Postharvest Engineering professor also emphasized the role of postharvest engineering in deploying technologies such as improved harvesting systems, refrigeration, modern packaging, and value-addition techniques to extend the shelf life of agricultural produce and reduce losses after harvest.

He further underscored the importance of renewable energy, particularly solar technology, citing innovations such as solar drying, solar cooking, and solar-powered storage systems as practical solutions for preserving agricultural produce, especially in rural communities with limited access to electricity.

The professor advocated increased government investment in rural infrastructure, including road networks, cold-chain facilities, storage systems, and renewable energy technologies. He also called for policies that promote food processing, value addition, and digital technologies that provide farmers with timely market information.

He urged stronger collaboration among governments, development partners, universities, research institutions, farmers, and the private sector to develop and commercialize technologies capable of reducing food losses across the agricultural value chain.

As part of recommendations, Professor Aremu suggested compulsory courses on postharvest food losses in higher institutions be introduced as well as the establishment of dedicated centres of excellence for postharvest studies, and the expansion of agricultural extension services to ensure research findings translate into practical solutions for farmers.

He further emphasized that investing in postharvest engineering remains one of the most effective ways to combat hunger, improve household food security, and ensure that food produced reaches consumers rather than being lost along the value chain.

Credit: UI Directorate Of Public Communication