Grains — more or better storage?

From time to time attention is directed to startling losses in livestock and crops caused by parasites and diseases, many of which occur during storage.¹ It is important that the losses be reduced. Reduction of losses in storage in particular: (a) makes more food available from a given amount produced; (b) makes more of it available for the poor, who suffer most from shortages; and (c) makes it available at the time of greatest scarcity, before the next production season or harvest.² It is, however, equally important that resources should not be wasted in misguided efforts to reduce waste. In the normal condition of cruelly restricted resources, these should be used to reduce waste only if the return in doing so is as good as, or better than, in other activities.