Integrating postharvest development capacity into national extension services

Lisa Kitinoja (Postharvest Education Foundation, USA) participated as keynote speaker in the session on Education Platform and Decision Support Systems at the 1st International Congress on Postharvest Loss Prevention held in Rome in October 2015.

Her presentation on “Integrating postharvest development capacity into national extension services” is available in video recording here. Starting from an UN FAO desk study aimed at identifying how to “Enabling efficient national extension and advisory services for effective postharvest technology and agro-industry development” she presents a 7-steps model on how to build postharvest capacity in low-income countries.

Lisa Kitinoja, founder of the Postharvest Education Foundation had 21 new graduates this year from 13 different countries (for a total of 110 graduates in 5 years, from 27 countries). PEF trained "Postharvest Specialists" are now working in many countries in Africa, including Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.  

Application for the 2016 PEF e-learning program are now open. More info here.

Photo: PEF e-learners with Lisa Kitinoja standing on the right at Rome Congress