2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Agribusiness Associates is implementing horticultural postharvest projects in Rwanda and Burkina Faso. Our model is based on a three-pronged approach: 1) Capacity building of local horticultural experts in postharvest handling, storage and processing technologies; 2) Building a Postharvest Center that conducts adaptive research on innovative technologies. The center also serves as a home for regular training events, demonstrations of technologies and provision of goods and services; and 3) Promote adoption of postharvest technologies through entrepreneurship development of local agribusinesses. The project is starting three Postharvest Centers in Rwanda and one in Burkina Faso. Our goal is to develop a replicable model for Postharvest Centers that are self-sustainable. Overall, our work in postharvest innovations and interventions will help farmers and agribusinesses gain better return on investments by adopting appropriate technology and reducing postharvest losses. The projects have been initiated by the Horticulture Innovation Lab, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development as part of the US Government’s global hunger and food security initiative called Feed the Future initiative and led by the University of California, Davis.

Key words: postharvest research, postharvest loss assessment, entrepreneurship, capacity building, sustainability.