ABSTRACT
404We are living in a world with over 7 billion people, where 1 out of every 8 persons goes to bed hungry. The demand for improved food security will grow since the population is projected to increase to 9 billion by 2050. Postharvest losses account for almost 27%–30% of the total food produced globally, with almost 50% of the produced food going to waste in developing countries. In the developed world, advancement of modern postharvest technology has resulted in the reduction of losses. However, in the developing world, there are several challenges to the reduction of postharvest losses. Minimizing postharvest losses is important since it provides an immediate approach for tackling food insecurity. Soon after harvest, horticultural crops exhibit rapid degradation. This is because plants respire, transpire, and ripen upon harvest, thereby deteriorating the value of the produce for human consumption. Therefore, the postharvest physiology of the crops has to be manipulated to retain the produce in an edible form for a maximal time. One of the strategies proven to alleviate postharvest losses is by the implementation of modern postharvest technologies such 405as refrigeration. Refrigeration cold chains are the backbone of modern postharvest infrastructure. The controlled and modified atmosphere technology enables precise control of the environment and enables one to fine-tune the atmosphere with respect to the produce and its physiology. Over the past two decades, there has been an enormous growth in areas that could minimize postharvest losses incurred in developing countries such as India. In this chapter, a brief review of the concurrent postharvest technologies and socioeconomics of their implementation is presented.
