Demand for processed food is expected to account for approximately 75% of the demand for staple foods, due to lifestyle changes and increased human populations leading to increased demand for food in the 21st century (Conway et al. 2019; Badiane et al. 2023). Huge potential therefore exists for small-scale farmers and producers to process indigenous food to meet this demand. However, they experience challenges, which include: struggling to comply with food safety regulations due to limited resources and knowledge; limited access to adequate storage facilities; and poor storage conditions, which can lead to spoilage from microorganisms or other contaminants. Overreliance on traditional methods of storage may not be suitable for modern food safety standards. This is further worsened by limited resources for packaging and labelling, due to financial constraints which limit the processors’ ability to invest in high-quality packaging and labelling materials.
Lack of standardisation, inconsistent packaging and labelling undermine consumer confidence and trust. Recommendations to philanthropies include the need for direct funding for capacity building, technological support, financing research and innovation and local processors. This would realise the potential of indigenous food processing, storage and packaging, embracing circularity, and incorporating technology in these processes. There is also a need to identify local processing technologies that are working well, for them to be improved using modern scientific knowledge for credibility. The development of new markets for local processed food products and lobbying for a regional labelling approach for local processed products are needed. This brief provides a summary of the indigenous/local food products that can be processed, packaged and stored, the challenges faced, and recommendations to philanthropists.
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