Low‐Cost Training of Smallholder Vegetable Farmers Reduces Postharvest Losses and Increases Incomes in Bangladesh: Evidence From a Propensity Score Matching Analysis

An estimated one‐third of global food production is lost or wasted. In low‐income countries such as Bangladesh, most of these losses occur at the level of farmers and traders. Interventions are needed to reduce these losses and benefit smallholder farmers. This study is the first of its kind to quantify the impact of simple, low‐cost postharvest training on smallholder vegetable farmers' postharvest knowledge, attitudes, postharvest practices adoption and farmers' income in Bangladesh. Using cross‐sectional survey data for a sample of 411 eggplant and cabbage farmers in southwestern Bangladesh and applying propensity score matching, it finds that the training led to a significant increase in farmers' knowledge about and attitudes toward postharvest issues and increased the adoption of postharvest practices (including washing, cleaning, cooling and storage, and packaging). These improvements reduced postharvest losses in cabbage by 24%. The overall effect was a 32% increase (+USD 947; p < 0.01) in mean household income during the kharif (rainy) season. These results show that relatively simple, low‐cost postharvest training can make an important contribution to reducing losses and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.