Purdue Launches Postharvest Initiative at World Food Prize Meeting

Purdue University launched the Purdue Postharvest Initiative with an exhibit at the recent World Food Prize (WFP) meeting in Des Moines, Iowa.

With an estimated one-third of the world's food going to waste, reducing food waste and loss is critical to meet food demands for what experts predict will be 9 billion people in 2050.  Focusing on developing countries, Purdue is leading and partnering on projects designed to reduce postharvest loss, improve nutrition, build and enhance agricultural value chains and foster and support food entrepreneurs. 

The annual WFP meeting, Oct. 12-14, brought leaders from around the world for the annual "Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium," and to celebrate the recipient of the World Food Prize, often described as the Nobel Prize for agriculture. Purdue has two WFP winners on its faculty: Philip Nelson, in 2007 and Gebisa Ejeta, in 2009.

The exhibit at the WFP will highlight two of Purdue's major Postharvest Initiative projects, the Purdue Improved Crop Storage and the Food Processing Innovation Lab.

The Purdue Postharvest Initiative includes extensive involvement and collaboration with USAID, USDA, private foundations and other stakeholders.