791 



Crops also need protection after harvesting;, which calls for the de- 

 sign and construction of better storaire facilities. Rats, insects, and 

 other pest-^ do much of their dania<;e in the primitive facilities available 

 in the LDC's. Many existino: stora<re facilities offer little protection 

 from tropical rains, which #tin ruin the harvested grain. It is possible 

 to construct storagre bins or warehouses that are ratproof and refrig:- 

 erated. and can be fumigated with nonpersistent insecticides which 

 are not released into the environment until they have lost their toxic- 

 ity. It would seem quite important that modem food protection and 

 storage techniques be adopted in the LDCs. The greater the urban 

 population, and the farther that population is from the location of 

 food sources, the more important the need for utilizing such tech- 

 niques.^^ 



At present, the less developed countries will have to rely on simple 

 food-preservation techniques. These involve better designed and more 

 efficiently operated storage facilities — preferably serving whole com- 

 munities — and more widespread use of well-known methods such 

 as sun-drying, pickling, and preservation with sugar. More sophis- 

 ticated methods can be introduced as general economic conditions 

 improve. 



The widespread adoption of the new seed varieties poses the possi- 

 bility of heavier losses due to disease and infestation. Previously 

 farmers selected their own seeds, so that neighboring farms might 

 have two or more strains growing simultaneously. This diversity pro- 

 vided a certain built-in protection against widespread plant diseases, 

 because all varieties are not equally vulnerable. But the new wheat 

 from Mexico, which has been introduced in a wide belt runnini fro^^ 

 the Middle East through India and Pakistan, involves only a small 

 range of genotypes. The appearance of some new type of wheat 

 rust in any part of this vast region could cause massive crop damage, 

 since it would involve an entire area, all planted with essentially the 

 same strain. 



This potential hazard can be reduced in several ways. One is a di- 

 versified breeding program which can more or less regularly come up 

 with new varieties. This should be supplemented by a capable and 

 well-organized plant protection service which can identity serious 

 outbreaks and move promptly to stop them. The prime responsibility 



3» O^'hpr mpthiids of food preservation are deb yd ration, refrlgemrlon. hcrtt steriJl^ntion. 

 radiation, fermentation, brining, and sraoklnp. Dry foods, often pri-serred by nat'.ira! field 

 curing In the snn. have tradltionall.v constituted a major food resource and can be expected 

 to do so in the future. They need to be protected from spoilage, rodents, insects, and spillage. 

 Protection can probably be provided more efficiently in larger storage centers, operated 

 either under private ownership, by cooperatives, or by the governments. Refrigeration makes 

 it possible to transport perishables over great distances and also extends their shelf life. 

 The problem with respect to widespread refrigeration Is one of cost, including improved 

 highways and rail systems. Increasing urbanization In the LDCs may make It more feasible 

 economically to install cold storage units in warehouses or markets. For the time being, 

 however, it appears unlikely that refrigeration will be adopted on a very broad scale In the 

 I^DCs. Heat sterilization in hermetically seaVd containers (canning) also appears to he 

 too costly for widespread adoption by the LDCs. Glass or plastic containers may prove 

 acceptable substitutes. Radiation treatment Is another potentially useful technology for 

 preserving food and controlling Insects. 



