Grant Calls for Food Security & Post-Harvest Loss Reduction in Africa: Agricultural Extension & Innovation Funding

Introduction

Food production is only one part of the story when it comes to food security. In many African nations, especially Nigeria, a substantial portion of crops never reach the consumer due to losses that occur after harvest. These are known as post-harvest losses (PHL) — losses that occur between harvest, storage, transport, processing and marketing. When crops are lost, so are the land, water, labour and investment that went into them. According to recent studies, post-harvest losses in Sub-Saharan Africa can be very high.

To address this, international donors, development agencies and agribusiness investors are issuing grant calls specifically for food-security interventions, agricultural extension services and innovations that reduce post-harvest losses. For Nigeria, other parts of Africa and Asia, this is a major opportunity. This blog post will guide you — as a startup, NGO, farmer cooperative or extension provider — through how to identify, apply for and implement grants to reduce PHL and strengthen food security.

We’ll cover why this matters now, compare different types of funding, walk you step-by-step through an application process, share key insights, highlight mistakes to avoid, and finish with FAQs and a strong conclusion with a call to action. The tone is conversational and aimed at readers who may be applying for the first time. Let’s begin.

Why “Grant Calls for Food Security & Post-Harvest Loss Reduction” Matter

The Context: What is Post-Harvest Loss & Why It Matters

Post-harvest loss refers to the measurable quantitative and qualitative food loss once crop production is complete but before consumption. These losses happen due to inadequate harvesting methods, poor storage, pests, transit delays, inadequate processing, and ineffective market linkages.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, studies show that between 20% and 40% of cereals, fruits and vegetables may be lost before they reach market. In Nigeria, isolated storage systems, weak logistics, and limited extension services make the problem particularly urgent.

Why Grant Funding is Crucial

Several trends make this issue a priority:

Food security & population growth: With rising populations, ensuring food reaches consumers is key. Reducing PHL means more food with less cost.
Agricultural extension & innovation gap: Many smallholder farmers lack access to technologies, effective storage, good harvesting equipment and training — all areas that grants target.
Economic losses: Each tonne of lost product represents losses in investment, land use, labour, and potential incomes — for farmers and the economy.
Donor focus: Development agencies and foundations recognise that addressing PHL is a high-leverage intervention: improving yield is good, but saving what’s already produced is often more cost-effective. For example, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) initiative aims to reduce post-harvest losses by up to 30% while increasing smallholder incomes.
Extension & value-chain improvement: Grants often support not just technology (e.g., better bags, drying, cold storage) but also training, market linkage, and extension services — making them high-impact.

In sum: If you’re engaged in agriculture, food systems, rural development or agribusiness in Nigeria or other African/Asian contexts, applying for grants in this space is wise and timely.

Comparison: Types of Grant Funding for Food Security & PHL Reduction

To decide which funding opportunity to pursue, it’s helpful to compare types of grants by size, focus, flexibility and suitability.

Grant Type	Typical Size	Focus	Flexibility for Applicants	Best for Stage / Applicant Type
Small innovation & pilot grants	US$20k – 100k	Post-harvest tech, training, extension	High — smaller scale, faster decisions	Start-ups, farmer groups, early-stage NGO projects
Medium service & value-chain grants	US$100k – 500k	Storage infrastructure, cold-chain, logistics	Medium	Established cooperatives, agribusiness scale-ups
Large programme grants (multilateral)	US$500k – several million	Food-system transformation, national scale	Lower flexibility, high requirements	Government bodies, large NGO/consortium partnerships

Cost implications:

A small pilot grant of US$50k might fund training 500 farmers, purchase improved drying bags or better storage sacks, and run a short extension campaign.
A medium grant of US$300k might cover building a cold storage facility, upgrading a logistics hub for perishable crops, providing aggregated storage for hundreds of farmers, plus training and extension.
Large grants (US$1m+) often fund national programmes, multiple regions, and embed with government extension systems or market infrastructure.

When you’re just starting, realistic scale and impact matter. Choose a grant aligned with your stage. Overshooting may lead to rejection.

Step-by-Step Application Guide (for Beginners)

Here’s a practical step-by-step guide to apply for a grant in the “food security & post-harvest loss reduction” space. If you’re new to grants, follow this workflow.

Step 1: Identify & Shortlist Suitable Calls

Research potential grant programmes: Look at donor websites, agriculture and food-security platforms, extension networks and agribusiness innovation challenges.
Criteria to check: country eligibility (Nigeria, Africa, Asia), theme (post-harvest loss, food security, value-chain innovation), grant size, deadlines, required match funding, applicant type (NGO, farmer cooperative, private company).
Bookmark relevant calls and mark deadlines.
For example: an article “Finding Funds for Post-Harvest Management Solutions” outlines how NGOs and farmer groups can access PHL‐focused funding.

Step 2: Clarify Your Project Concept

Define your problem clearly: e.g., “In Region X of Nigeria, maize losses during storage average 25% due to mold and pests; this reduces farmer income by US$X per annum.”
Define your solution: e.g., improved storage sacks (hermetic bags), drying canopy, mobile solar dryers, training for extension workers, aggregation hub for farmers.
Set clear outcomes and metrics: e.g., reduce losses from 25% to 10% in 2 years; increase farmer incomes by 20%; train 300 farmers; build one storage hub.
Map your value-chain and service area: which farmers, which crops, what region, who are your partners (extension service, coop, agritech provider).
Create a rough budget estimate. A pilot might cost US$50k to train farmers, purchase 20,000 hermetic bags and monitor impact.

Step 3: Build Partnerships & Stakeholder Buy-In

Engage your local agricultural extension service (government or NGO). Their endorsement strengthens your application.
If crop storage or logistics are involved, partner with cooperatives, farmers’ associations, agribusiness aggregators.
Identify a tech partner or supplier (for example hermetic bags, solar dryers, cold-storage vendor).
Secure letters of intent or memorandum of understanding (MOUs) from partners and farmers.
Plan for training and extension: how will farmers adopt the new technology or practice? Build a training plan.

Step 4: Develop Your Detailed Proposal

A strong proposal normally includes:

Executive summary: one page describing problem, solution, scale, partners, funding ask.
Problem statement and justification: data on PHL in your area (you can cite country/regional studies, e.g. the 2024 PHL landscape report for Sub-Saharan Africa).
Project objectives & outcomes: clear, measurable (hectares, tonnes saved, farmer incomes, adoption rates).
Activities & timeline: Gantt chart of how you will implement (baseline survey → procurement → training → rollout → monitoring).
Budget: itemised costs (training, equipment, personnel, monitoring). Explain assumptions (e.g., cost per hermetic bag, number of farmers).
Monitoring & evaluation (M&E) plan: indicators, baseline, data collection, target values, timeline, responsible parties.
Sustainability & scaling plan: how will programme continue after grant ends? Will farmers pay for bags? Will extension service adopt the practice?
Risk analysis & mitigation: e.g., logistics delays, adoption rates lower than expected, equipment failure — and how you’ll manage them.
Organisation & team capacity: your NGO/cooperative or business, previous experience, partnership roles, governance.
Annexes: CVs, partner letters, coop membership list, procurement policy, financial statement (if required).

Step 5: Write & Review Application

Use clear, simple language (avoid jargon).
Ensure your proposal aligns with the funder’s strategic priorities (mention keywords from their call).
Make your case compelling: use numbers, but also tell the story of impact (farmer lives, incomes, local food security).
Review and proofread: ensure no missing attachments, correct formats, word limits respected.
If possible, get someone external to review it.

Step 6: Submit by Deadline & Prepare for Follow-Up

Submit on time (some portals may close early or have strict deadlines).
Save confirmation and keep a copy.
Be ready for due-diligence: funders may ask for further documents, interviews or visits.
If shortlisted, you may need to provide additional detail, budgets, M&E frameworks or impact estimates.

Step 7: Implementation, Monitoring & Reporting

Once awarded, set up your project governance (steering committee, partner roles, financial controls).
Roll out baseline survey of farmer income/losses/storage practices.
Deliver training, equipment, extension services as planned.
Monitor adoption, losses saved, income improvement, farmer feedback.
Report to funder regularly (quarterly/annually) with required indicators.
Evaluate at project end: compare losses saved vs baseline, income change, farmer adoption.
Plan for scaling or continuation: for example extend storage hubs to additional districts or farmers.

Key Insights, Benefits & Real-World Examples

Benefits of Grants Focused on Food Security & PHL

Reduced losses = more food for consumption or sale: Every tonne saved means more food, more income, less waste.
Increased farmer incomes: Better storage and quicker market access can raise profitability.
Strengthened value chains: Improving post-harvest handling tightens link between farm and market, decreases wastage and increases quality.
Improved food security: More food reaching market, less dependence on imports; better nutrition.
Capacity building & local empowerment: Training farmers and extension agents strengthens local systems for the future.
Innovation and technology adoption: Grants enable deployment of new tools (dryers, hermetic bags, cold storage, mobile apps) that otherwise might be unaffordable.

Real-World Context & Examples

In Sub-Saharan Africa, a recent report mapped interventions in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi showing that actors increasingly focus on PHL, storage, market linkages and private-sector solutions.
A 2024 article “Finding Funds for Post-Harvest Management Solutions” outlines how NGOs, cooperatives and agritech firms can access funding for storage technologies and extension support.
In Nigeria, the African Development Bank (AfDB) is mobilising US$2.2 billion to support agriculture processing zones in 28 states — initiatives aimed at reducing post-harvest losses by bringing processing closer to farmers.

These examples show that grants can be large, strategic and integrated with food-system transformation efforts — and that your project can link to these trends.

Statement of Purpose — A Simple, Strong Structure

Here’s how you can structure your narrative for the application:

Opening (Problem Statement):
“In Northern Nigeria’s XYZ region, approximately 30 % of maize and sorghum is lost post-harvest due to inadequate drying, storage pests and market delays. This means farmers lose US$ X annually and thousands of tonnes of potential food are wasted.”
Solution (Your Project):
“Our project proposes to deploy a network of village-based solar-powered drying pads and hermetic storage bags, train 1,200 smallholder farmers (40 % women) and establish an aggregator hub that links to local markets within 24 months.”
Expected Outcomes:
“By the end of Year 2, we aim to reduce losses from 30% to 12%; increase average farmer income by 25%; connect 1,200 farmers; and build capacity in 3 local extension centres.”
Partnerships & Capacity:
“The project will be implemented by [Your NGO/Enterprise], partnering with the State Agricultural Extension Agency, a local agritech supplier (providing hermetic bags and solar dryers) and the farmers’ cooperative. Our team has 10 years’ experience in rural ag-innovation and training.”
Budget & Value for Money:
“We request US$150,000. Cost per farmer trained is US$125; cost per tonne of loss avoided estimated at US$45; cost per percentage point reduction in loss is US$4,200.”
Sustainability & Scale-Out:
“After Year 2, the farmers’ cooperative will operate rental-models for drying pads and sell hermetic bags at cost; extension services will embed the training modules. We plan scale-out to two neighbouring states by Year 4.”
Risk Mitigation:
“Key risks: low adoption, equipment breakdowns, market access delays. Mitigation: advance farmer engagement, service contracts with the supplier, pre-market linkage agreements.”
Closing:
“With your investment, we will convert wasted harvest into income, build resilient value chains and enhance food security for thousands of farmers in Nigeria — creating a model transferable across Africa and Asia.”

Common Mistakes — And How to Avoid Them

Mistake	Why It Hurts	How to Avoid
Weak baseline data	You cannot show change or impact	Collect data on current losses, yields, farmer income, storage practices
Too large or vague project aim	Funders may consider it unfeasible or unfocused	Start with realistic pilots, clear metrics, defined region
Ignoring farmer adoption	Technology alone won’t succeed without buy-in	Build training, extension, pilot users, farmer feedback loops
Poor definition of outcomes or indicators	Without measurable targets you cannot show value	Set clear outcomes (e.g., % reduction in loss, income increase) and link to metrics
No sustainability plan	Grant ends and project collapses	Define how project continues post-grant (service fees, cooperative models, government support)
Not aligning with funder’s priorities	Application might be rejected for misfit	Read the call carefully; align your language and objectives precisely
Underestimating costs	Budget overruns lead to project stoppage	Include contingencies, realistic unit costs, review similar projects

FAQs (Concise but Useful)

Q1: Who can apply for these food-security & post-harvest loss grants?
A: Typically farmer cooperatives, agribusinesses, NGOs, research institutes, extension agencies, sometimes private-sector startups. Always check the call’s eligibility.

Q2: Are these grants only for Africa?
No — many grants are global or cover Africa and Asia. Specify your country eligibility (e.g., some calls target Nigeria; others wider Africa or Asia).

Q3: Do I need to provide match funding?
Sometimes yes. Many grants ask for partial co-financing (cash or in-kind). Check the specific call.

Q4: How long is the grant period?
Often 12-36 months for pilot or mid-scale projects. Larger programmes may span 4-5 years.

Q5: What are typical costs for post-harvest loss reduction interventions?
Costs vary hugely by context: hermetic bags may cost US$2-5 per bag, solar-dryers US$2,000-10,000 depending on size; storage hubs may be US$100k+. Your budget must reflect local costs and realistic scale.

Conclusion

Reducing post-harvest losses and strengthening food security through agricultural extension and innovation is one of the highest-leverage interventions for regions like Nigeria, other African countries and Asia. Grant funding is available—and if you prepare diligently, you can access it to build impactful projects that save food, improve farmer incomes and make supply chains more efficient.

Remember:

Identify a clear problem and solution.
Build credible partnerships and data.
Set measurable outcomes and realistic budgets.
Present a strong narrative aligned with the funder’s priorities.
Plan for sustainability beyond the grant.

“Saving the harvest isn’t just about what grows in the field — it’s about what reaches the table, sustains the farmer, and strengthens the food system for generations.”

Call to Action: Start today by identifying one open grant call that suits your region and project. Download the application template, draft your executive summary and reach out to a partner for endorsement.