Post-harvest losses remain one of the most persistent challenges across African food systems, directly affecting food safety, farmer incomes, and market stability. In many cases, improper storage leads to contamination, pest infestation, and the use of harmful chemical treatments posing risks to both human health and the environment.

Within this context, practical, low-cost, and scalable solutions are essential.

Supporting safer storage through FS4Africa Use Case 2

As part of its work on reducing the use and misuse of pesticides, FS4Africa Use Case 2 operates across Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria, focusing on legumes and vegetables value chains.

The use case promotes solutions that minimise pesticide misuse during both production and post-harvest handling. A key objective is capacity development on hermetic storage technologies, including the use of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) Bags. 

If it’s not PICS Bag, your crop storage is not guaranteed!

The hands-on video demonstration

To support adoption at the local level, the One Health Unit of IITA has produced an instructional video demonstrating how to properly use PICS Bags in real-world settings.
The video:

• Provides step-by-step guidance on effective storage practices
• Highlights practical approaches to reducing post-harvest losses
• Translates research into actionable knowledge for farmers and informal market actors

It is presented in Yoruba, with English subtitles, ensuring accessibility for local communities while maintaining broader reach.

Watch here