With an expanding middle class and increased income per capita, the demand for food is shifting from quantity to quality. The demand for fresh, safe food is increasing worldwide. Maintaining food freshness and safety adds value and reduces food losses. Efficient FVCs also contribute to increasing the income of each actor.

As most agricultural products are perishable, their quality starts deteriorating immediately after harvest due to respiration, water loss, and insect pests and diseases. About 30% of the total food produced is lost due to poor postharvest infrastructure including storage and transport in developing countries. Therefore, maintaining quality throughout storage and transportation is critical to deliver fresh, healthy food to retail markets and consumers.

Modern food storage and transport technologies can help maintain quality throughout FVCs and reduce postharvest food losses. This course will enhance the understanding of key FVC stakeholders of technologies and modern practices for the preservation of agrifood product quality during storage and transportation, thereby increasing the productivity and competitiveness of Asian FVCs.

This course is being organized to train a critical mass of individuals in APO member countries in acquiring and applying basic knowledge of modern food storage and transport technologies. It will introduce characteristics of fresh produce, important environmental factors affecting produce quality, optimum storage conditions, harvesting and precooling of produce, packaging of produce, transportation of produce, and marketing of fresh produce.

The Asian Productivity Organization developed this course with the support of Dr. Takeo Shiina, Professor, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Japan.

Course Instruction:

1. There are 8 modules in this course. Please start with Module 1 and complete each module in order.
2. The recommended timeline to complete each module is:
   • Days 1-3: Module 1
   • Days 4-7: Module 2+Quiz 1
   • Days 8-12: Module 3
   • Days 13-16: Module 4+Quiz 2
   • Days 17-19: Module 5
   • Days 20-23: Module 6+Quiz 3
   • Days 24-29: Module 7+Module 8
   • Day 30: Final Examination
3. To confirm your understandings, 3 quizzes are provided. Please answer the questions and check your score for self-evaluation. Please note that the quiz scores have no connection with the final exam results.
4. It is recommended that you proceed to the next module only after satisfactory completion of the preceding module.
5. After completing all modules, each participant should take the final exam. Remember that you are only allowed to take the final exam once. Please ensure that you have thoroughly understood all modules before taking the final exam.
6. After completion of the course the APO will provide e-certificates to successful participants from APO member countries who pass the final exam (minimum passing score is 70%).

Course Objectives:

1. To acquaint participants with the main causes/mechanisms of fresh agrifood product deterioration and measures to prevent them;
2. To build the capabilities of a critical mass of stakeholders in applying knowledge, technologies, and modern practices for the preservation of agrifood product quality during storage and transportation; and
3. To improve agrifood value chains (FVCs) in member countries.

Important Notes:

1. Participants who register to take this course and pass the final examination with a score of 70% or higher will be eligible to receive the APO certificate. Please note that the final examination can be taken only once. Therefore, you decide when you choose to take the examination. Please note that the self-assessment quizzes are for your own evaluation and have no connection with the final examination results.
2. Participants who perform well in this course and receive the APO certificate will be given preference, on a merit basis, for selection to attend the follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO project, provided their nominations are received through the concerned NPOs and slots are available.
3. Notes 2 are applicable only to participants from APO member countries. Participants from nonmember countries are welcome to take the course for self-improvement, though they will not get an opportunity to attend the follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO projects.