When Food Grows but Never Reaches the Plate

Every year, millions of tons of food grown in Bangladesh never make it to a market, let alone a dinner table. Despite our agricultural advancements, post-harvest losses the reduction in quantity or quality of food from harvest to consumption continue to sabotage food security, farmer incomes, and economic resilience.

In Bangladesh, these losses range from 20% to 40% depending on the crop and location, especially in the southern coastal belt. According to the FAO, post-harvest losses account for more than 30% of fruit and vegetable output and up to 10% of grains.

But what causes this waste? And more importantly, how can improved storage, cold chain logistics, and community-led innovations help us save what we grow?

What Are Post-Harvest Losses and Why Do They Matter in Bangladesh?

Post-harvest losses refer to the degradation of food during handling, storage, transportation, processing, and distribution after it has been harvested. These losses lead to food waste, economic inefficiency, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

In Bangladesh, post-harvest losses are a major food supply chain issue, especially in perishables like vegetables, fish, and fruits, due to poor storage, inadequate transportation, and lack of cold chains. This not only threatens food security but undermines farmer profits and sustainability.

Key reasons why they matter:

• They reduce farmer income by up to 30%
• Worsen hidden hunger by reducing nutritious food availability
• Contribute to climate change through methane-emitting waste
• Undermine investments in agriculture and rural development

How Much Food Is Lost Post-Harvest in Bangladesh?

Post-harvest losses in Bangladesh range from 10% for rice to over 40% for perishable crops like tomatoes and mangoes. The country loses billions of taka worth of food annually.

Data Snapshot:

• Tomatoes: 40–45% loss
• Mangoes: 35–40% loss
• Vegetables: 25–30% loss
• Fish and Shrimp: 20–25% loss due to improper icing and transport
• Rice and Pulses: 10–15% due to poor drying and grain storage

Source: BARI, FAO, WorldFish Bangladesh Reports

Why Is Lack of Cold Chain Infrastructure a Major Problem?

Bangladesh has underdeveloped cold storage and refrigerated transport facilities, especially for fruits, vegetables, and fish. This lack accelerates spoilage and waste.

Challenges with cold chains:

• <5% of produce in rural Bangladesh benefits from cold storage
• Many rural markets lack electricity for preservation
• High cost of refrigeration keeps smallholders excluded
• Inadequate icing in the fisheries sector leads to bacterial spoilage

Case in Khulna:
A shrimp farmer in Paikgacha shared,

“We harvest in the morning, but by the time it reaches Khulna market, some die from heat. We can’t afford mobile chillers.”

What Role Does Storage Technology Play in Reducing Food Waste?

Affordable, climate-resilient storage technologies like solar dryers, hermetic bags, and improved granaries can prevent fungal growth, pests, and spoilage of harvested food.

Promising Technologies:

• Hermetic Bags (e.g., Purdue Improved Crop Storage Bags): Reduce oxygen, prevent pest damage
• Zero Energy Cool Chambers: Evaporative cooling storage for fruits/vegetables
• Solar Tunnel Dryers: Reduce microbial spoilage in fish and chillies
• Metal/Plastic Silos: Increase shelf life of grains in saline-prone zones like Satkhira

Story from Satkhira:
Salma Begum, a maize farmer, shared:

“I used to lose a third of my harvest to rodents and mold. After storing in a silo from the local NGO program, it stayed safe for months.”

How Are Post-Harvest Losses Linked to Hidden Hunger?

Post-harvest losses reduce the supply of nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, and fish, worsening hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiencies, especially among women and children.

Key Impacts:

• Lower availability of Vitamin A-rich foods (e.g., mangoes, leafy greens)
• Loss of iron-rich small fish due to transport spoilage
• Wastage of perishable foods before they reach urban slums

UNICEF estimates that 1 in 3 children in Bangladesh suffer from stunting due to malnutrition, exacerbated by lack of fresh, diverse foods.

How Can Innovation and Digital Solutions Help Curb Losses?

Digital tools like cold chain tracking apps, farmer training videos, and AI-based spoilage prediction are helping improve efficiency and reduce post-harvest food loss in Bangladesh.

Emerging Innovations:

• IoT-enabled cold storage units (pilot by BRAC and AgriTech startups)
• Mobile-based quality control alerts during transport
• Blockchain for traceability in fish value chains
• Digital farmer cooperatives to reduce middlemen-induced delay

What Are NGOs and Policy Stakeholders Doing About It?

NGOs, government, and private sector players are working on cold chain expansion, post-harvest training, and policy reforms to reduce losses.

Ongoing Interventions:

• FAO: Post-harvest toolkit for horticulture farmers in Rangpur and Barisal
• WorldFish Bangladesh: Icing, solar drying, and packaging projects for coastal fisheries
• UNDP: Rural infrastructure investment to reduce transport delays
• EcoNature BD: Training farmers on post-harvest hygiene, community silos, and mobile advisory in Satkhira

What Can Be Done to Scale Solutions and Reduce Post-Harvest Losses Nationwide?

To scale impact, Bangladesh needs public-private partnerships, rural cold chain expansion, farmer training, and policy incentives for storage innovation.

Actionable Recommendations:

• Invest in rural cold chain hubs with solar backups
• Promote low-cost storage tech in agri extension services
• Build farmer cooperatives to share transport and packaging
• Integrate post-harvest loss tracking in agriculture policy
• Offer microcredit schemes for cold boxes and dryers

How Do Post-Harvest Losses Affect Farmer Livelihoods in Coastal Bangladesh?

Post-harvest losses reduce farmers’ incomes by 20–40% and force many to sell early at lower prices due to lack of storage, especially in climate-stressed coastal regions.

Case from Dacope, Khulna:
Fakir Alamin, a vegetable grower, explained:

“During monsoon, we harvest eggplants and pumpkins. But no cold store nearby means we have to sell it the same day. The price crashes, and we barely break even.”

Why this matters:

• Farmers are trapped in low-margin cycles
• Early harvests reduce nutritional quality
• Women farmers, who handle sorting/storage, lose potential income
• Post-harvest stress increases food insecurity in their own households

What Are the Unique Post-Harvest Challenges in Fisheries and Aquaculture?

In Bangladesh’s fisheries sector, especially shrimp and hilsa, lack of cold storage and poor icing methods cause 20–25% loss from harvest to market.

Major issues:

• Shrimp turns black or dies during uncooled transit
• Improper sorting and sun exposure reduce export quality
• Overuse of ice leads to water contamination in fish boxes
• Cold chain breakdowns hinder traceability compliance for exports

How Are Farmer Cooperatives Helping Reduce Post-Harvest Losses?

Farmer cooperatives in Bangladesh are helping reduce post-harvest losses by pooling resources for transport, storage, and bulk market access.

Benefits of cooperatives:

• Shared investment in cool storage units
• Group-based contract farming ensures fairer pricing
• Coordinated harvest scheduling avoids market glut
• Training hubs improve quality handling at scale

What Is the Environmental Impact of Post-Harvest Food Waste?

Food waste from post-harvest losses contributes to methane emissions in landfills, wastes water and energy inputs, and accelerates climate change.

Environmental effects:

• 1 ton of rotting vegetables can emit over 1,500 kg of CO₂e
• Wasted irrigation water adds to groundwater stress
• Spoiled fish or livestock feed creates leachate pollution
• Burning spoiled produce (common in wet seasons) releases particulate matter

According to FAO, if food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd largest GHG emitter in the world.

What Policy and Investment Priorities Should Bangladesh Focus On?

Bangladesh should prioritize cold chain development, SME-friendly storage financing, research on low-cost tech, and mandatory data tracking on food losses.

Key policy shifts needed:

• Cold storage subsidies for smallholder clusters
• Integration of post-harvest tech in national ag strategy
• Tax relief for solar-powered refrigeration units
• National data portal for crop-specific loss tracking
• Promote youth-led AgTech innovations through incubators

A 2023 UNDP study recommended a 3x increase in cold chain investment for perishable value chains in southern Bangladesh.

Saving What We Grow Is a Climate and Food Justice Imperative

Post-harvest losses in Bangladesh are more than an agricultural inefficiency—they’re a barrier to food justice, climate resilience, and rural empowerment. Every rotten tomato, spoiled mango, or unpreserved fish reflects a system that needs urgent reform.

With better storage, smart logistics, and inclusive innovation, we can build a system where food doesn’t just grow — it gets eaten.

Want to reduce food loss in your community or supply chain?
EcoNature BD offers consultancy, training, and scalable solutions to tackle post-harvest losses through innovation and localized partnerships.

Contact us to collaborate on resilient food systems that work for farmers and the planet.

FAQs

1. What are the main causes of post-harvest losses in Bangladesh?

Post-harvest losses stem from poor storage, inefficient transport, lack of cold chains, delayed market access, and inadequate farmer training on hygiene and packaging.

2. How do post-harvest losses affect food security?

They reduce the supply of safe, nutritious food, leading to food shortages and higher prices. They also contribute to malnutrition, especially among the rural poor.

3. What are some technologies used to reduce post-harvest losses?

Hermetic storage bags, solar dryers, evaporative coolers, and mobile cold rooms are effective in reducing spoilage, pests, and microbial decay.

4. How can small farmers benefit from better post-harvest practices?

Smallholders can increase income, reduce waste, and access premium markets with better storage, transport, and training in hygiene and handling.

5. What role does the government play in reducing food losses?

The government supports infrastructure projects, policy reforms, and subsidized cold storage schemes. Stronger coordination is needed for scale.

6. Are there post-harvest loss solutions in coastal areas like the Sundarbans?

Yes. Solar drying of fish, community grain silos, and insulated boxes for shrimp transport have shown success in reducing waste in Sundarbans villages.

7. How can digital tools help reduce post-harvest losses?

Digital platforms can enable real-time monitoring, improve traceability, offer training content, and connect farmers to buyers with better price timing.