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This study (a joint undertaking by a number of researchers and published in World Development), conducts a meta-analysis which aims to expose the nature and magnitude of post-harvest losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to identify gaps in their assessment and mitigation. Post-harvest losses (PHL) are a crucial factor that affects food security and nutrition across the region.

“Hidden hunger,” or malnutrition that stems from eating too few micronutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, is gaining widespread attention as a threat to global health. A working paper released by the CGIAR’s HarvestPlus program estimates that as many as 2 billion people worldwide are affected by micronutrient malnutrition.

This piece was originally published on AllAfrica.com . Written by Deogratias Mushi.

In 2009, the United Nations estimated that 60 per cent of the world's chronically hungry people were women and girls, 98 per cent of whom were living in developing nations.

The African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, or CAADP, has made steady progress over its past 10 years of implementation. However, the African continent continues to face some key challenges, including the need to provide for the food and nutrition needs of a steadily growing population, economic inequality and rural poverty, disputes over limited natural resources, and the impact of climate change and market globalization.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to plague the African continent, causing widespread human suffering and creating a stumbling block to economic development. In SSA, over a million people become newly infected with the disease every year ( UNAIDS, 2010 ). While access to proper medical care and education about safe sexual practices clearly play a role in preventing further spread of and deaths from the HIV virus, a new paper in The Economic Journal suggests that protecting people’s incomes could help decrease the spread of the disease as well.