INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE POSTHARVEST INSTITUTE FOR PERISHABLES ASEAN FOOD HANDLING BUREAU
BY JERRY LA GRA
Postharvest Institute for Perishables
College of Agriculture
129 W Third St.
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho 83843
August 1990
© University of Idaho
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Chapter 1 - Purpose and origin of this manual
Pitfalls of problem identification
Application of this manual
Origin of the methodology
An interinstitutional effort
Chapter 2 - Introduction to food systems
Multi-disciplinary nature of the food system
Interdependence of the components of a food system
Participants in a commodity system
Causes of food losses
Facilitating services
Food security: another dimension
Chapter 3 - Priority components for problem analysis
Relative importance of crop - component 01
Public sector policies - component 02
Relevant institutions - component 03
Facilitating services - component 04
Farmer organizations - component 05
Environmental requirements and constraints - component 06
Availability of seeds and other genetic materials - component 07
Farmers' cultural practices - component 08
Pests and diseases - component 09
Preharvest treatments - component 10
Production and marketing costs - component 11
Crop harvest - component 12
Selection, sizing, grading, and inspection - component 13
Postharvest chemical and physical treatment - component 14
Packaging - component 15
Cooling - component 16
Storage - component 17
Transport - component 18
Delays or waiting - component 19
Other operations - component 20
Agroprocessing - component 21
Marketing intermediaries - component 22
Market information - component 23
Consumer demand - component 24
Exports - component 25
Postharvest and marketing costs - component 26
Chapter 4 - Application of the commodity systems assessment methodology
Formation of an Interdisciplinary Team
Preproduction
Production
Postharvest
Marketing and distribution
Chapter 5 - Identifying solutions to problems
Problem analysis
Brainstorming for problems
Problem checklist
Problem tree diagram
Objectives analysis
Analysis of strategy alternatives and project identification
Participant analysis
Summary of project identification
Criteria for establishing priorities
Project profiles
General observations on the use of CSAM and project profiles
Chapter 6 - Organizing a workshop
Coordinating Committee
Expected outputs
Institutional support
Baseline documents
Resource persons
Selection of participants
Development of workshop agenda
Conducting the workshop
Collection of missing information
Checklist for organizing a workshop
Annex 1 - Example questionnaires for commodity system components
Component 01 - Relative importance of crop
Component 02 - Public sector policies
Component 03 - Relevant institutions
Component 04 - Facilitating services
Component 05 - Farmer organizations
Component 06 - Environmental requirements and constraints
Component 07 - Availability of seeds and planting materials
Component 08 - Farmers' cultural practices
Component 09 - Pests and diseases
Component 10 - Preharvest treatments
Component 11 - Production and marketing costs
Component 12 - Crop harvest
Component 13-A - Selection
Component 13-B - Sizing and grading
Component 13-C - Inspection
Component 14 - Postharvest chemical and physical treatments
Component 15 - Packaging
Component 16 - Cooling
Component 17 - Storage
Component 18 - Transport
Component 19 - Delays or waiting
Component 20 - Other operations
Component 21 - Agroprocessing
Component 22 - Marketing intermediaries
Component 23 - Market information
Component 24 - Consumer demand
Component 25 - Exports
Component 26 - Postharvest and marketing costsAnnex 3 - Summary of the production process for starfruit in Malaysia, 1988
Annex 4 - Magnitude of losses relating to preharvest factors for starfruit in Malaysia, 1988
Annex 5A - Flow diagram of actions taken in the postharvest system for starfruit, Malaysia, 1988
Annex 6A - Movement of starfruit in the postharvest system, Malaysia, 1988
Annex 7 - Summary of the postharvest system for starfruit, Malaysia, 1988
Annex 8A - Market prices, marketing costs and margins for Julie mangoes, St. Lucia, July, 1988
Annex 8B - Marketing margins for Julie mangoes, St. Lucia, July 1988
Annex 9 - Product specification for Malaysian starfruit in four importing countries, 1988
Annex 10 - Recommended production environment for selected fruit crops
Annex 11 - Checklist of potential problems in a commodity system