APHLIS (African Postharvest Losses Information System)

 Loss reduction interventions are directed at the most affected areas (geographically)  Loss reduction interventions are directed at the most affected links in the post harvest chain or those that would be most cost effective to address  Cereal supply estimates can be calculated more reliably from production estimates (cereal supply = production – PHLs) Importance of PHLs PHLs are a source of food insecurity and we need to know about them so that - BUT: to date PHL corrections have been -  mostly guesstimates (usually between 1 and 20%)  relatively difficult to trace the logic and info sources  the sources themselves may not be very reliable  the derivation of the figures is not transparent

APHLIS - a unique service APHLIS generates estimates of postharvest weight losses for cereals in East and Southern Africa and is  Based on a network of local experts who submit data and verify loss estimates  Built on a complete survey of the literature on PHLs APHLIS provides ……  Loss estimates for main cereals, by country and by province, for different climate zones and farm scales  A display of the data used to derive losses so the system is fully transparent, and  The opportunity to add better loss data so that loss estimation can improve over time

A gric. data GIS maps of PHLs etc Data tables PHLs by crop country and province Network of local experts PHL database PHL calculator PHL tables Calculator spreadsheet APHLIS – the System in a nutshell Download

Final PHL estimates displayed on maps Maize Sorghum Wheat

Visions (Bonn workshop August 2010)  Keep loss estimates independent and owned by countries  Support development of Community of practice, close links with:  PHL reduction projects  PHL research community  Add information on qualitative losses  Take up case studies on specific loss figures and for a number of pilot countries. Verify loss estimates.  Include West and Central Africa in the system  Update loss values regularly

New project started in January 2012 IMPROVING QUALITATIVE AND QUANITATIVE POST HARVEST LOSSES ESTIMATES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA The main objectives of the project are to: 1.improve the quantitative loss estimation of the APHLIS system 2. extend the system to 17 countries in Western and Central Africa 3. address qualitative post harvest losses

Tasks 1. Operating the APHLIS information system and website; 2. Complete review of existing information on qualitative grain losses; 3. Development of a manual for improving quantitative postharvest losses data collection and standardizing assessment methods at country level; 4. Extension and update of the APHLIS: a) Geographic extension to the whole Sub-Saharan Africa, including West and Central Africa regions; b) Updating of the existing system for Eastern and Southern Africa. 5. National case studies on verification of current post harvest losses estimates

Nairobi Workshop objectives: 1.To review the functionalities of the current systems and raise awareness in the region; 2.To strengthen the existing network and define activities and work-plan for network members; 3.To present first results and improvements of the system since January To involve new partners eg. ICIPE, FAO Countrystat, RATIN…

Advisory Board An Advisory board has been formed during the project kick off meeting in February to: 1. ensure close coordination with other initiatives on post harvest losses estimation and reduction 2012, 2.to provide recommendations and to support the technical monitoring. Current members: UN: FAO (STATS, GIEWS, AGS), WFP FARA CILSS World Bank European Commission: DEVCO ….