By Priscilla C. Nwachukwu
Across Africa and many parts of the world, significant effort is being invested in empowering smallholder farmers. Access to improved seeds, machinery, finance, and extension services continues to grow, all in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger. After all, we are trying to feed nations.
But what if hunger is not caused by how little food we produce? What if this goal is never achieved because a large share of the food produced is lost before it reaches consumers? Some people do not lack food because it was never grown. They lack food because it never reached them.
Food systems depend on strong in-betweens. When these links are ignored, the ultimate goal of food security becomes impossible to achieve. In agriculture, these are the value chains. Production and input supply is only one part of the story.
- Aggregation brings produce together from multiple farmers, making bulking and structured marketing possible. Without it, farmers are left selling in isolation.
- Processing transforms raw produce into consumable or higher value products, extending shelf life and reducing spoilage.
- Storage preserves produce and maintains quality over time, especially for perishable crops.
- Transportation and logistics move food efficiently across stages, but poor roads and limited vehicles often turn fresh harvests into waste.
- Marketing and distribution connect produce to wholesalers, retailers, and exporters, while retail ensures food finally reaches consumers.
- Consumption is the final stage, but it only happens if every step before it works.
Consider Maame, a smallholder farmer in Ghana’s Eastern Region. Through a support program, she expanded her farm and now produces three times more than before. She feeds her family and sells within her community. Yet she still travels long distances to market on poor roads using an aboboya. By the time she arrives, about forty percent of her produce is damaged. Another third remains on the farm, hoping buyers return before it rots.
That is not a production problem. That is a broken food value chain.
Imagine if Maame were linked to processors and aggregators, had access to cold storage and transport services, and could reach markets beyond her community. Imagine policies that supported affordable food, efficient logistics, and durable market roads.
Some organizations are working to close these gaps, including Grow For Me, Agri-Impact Ltd, One Acre Fund and Farmerline Group among others. Their efforts show what is possible, but policies, infrastructure, and coordinated systems still need to do much more.
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Feeding nations requires more than growing more food. It requires protecting food from loss at every stage between farm and fork.
Where do you think the biggest food losses occur in our agricultural value chains today? I would love to hear from you.
About the writer
The writer is a Sustainable Agriculture and Smart Food Systems advocate with a background in Agricultural Engineering and research in urban agriculture and sustainable soil remediation. She can be reached via LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/priscilla-nwachukwu
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