Economic Sustainability of Post-Harvest-Investments – Analyses from the Green Innovation Centers

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development cooperation (BMZ) commissioned the Global Project “Green Innovation Centers for the Food and Agriculture Sector” (GIC) to intensify measures to combat Post Harvest Losses (PHL). In this context, a study on the economic sustainability of post-harvest investments has been conducted in June 2023. The objective of this study is to provide an objective and economically differentiated analysis of investments targeting PHL in the selected partner countries. It covers the entire down-stream value chain (VC), including harvest, sorting, storage, transport, and processing of agri-cultural products. By identifying critical loss points and assessing the economic effectiveness and sustainability of investments, the study gages the measures and makes recommendations to achieve the most impactful outcomes. The study considers key quantitative economic parameters, such as investment costs, running costs, opportunity costs, price impact, marketable quantity/reduced crop loss, and income generation. Additionally, it recognizes the significance of framework conditions, including fi-nancing availability, key services, infrastructure, legal aspects, agricultural policies and the lo-cal economic context. Although the study acknowledges its limited scope and timeframe, it considers socio-economic factors during investigations and provides recommendations for sustainable business models.