Climate change threatens traditional food storage systems — and ways of life

Since long before anyone could remember, the village of Haripur in India’s western Maharashtra state stored tons of turmeric in underground pits. Haripur’s soil is good at regulating moisture and provides the right kind of insulation and resistance from pest attacks to keep turmeric fresh. This food storage system, locally known as peve, keeps harvested turmeric safe for at least a decade. These pits transformed the turmeric trade, making India’s Sangli district, 5 kilometers from Haripur, a significant turmeric trading center, where an average of 139,965 quintals (nearly 14,000 metric tons) of turmeric is traded every year. At points in the last 50 years, Haripur contained over 5,000 such storage pits, each of them at least 25 feet deep with the ability to store up to 25,000 kilograms of turmeric — along with cereals such as wheat, sorghum, and maize — according to local peve owners. Traders and farmers would travel from hundreds of kilometers to store their crops in Haripur. Today, that way of life is under threat due to a series of natural disasters and climate change. Peve owners say Haripur’s legacy started fading in 2005, when a massive flood destroyed most of the pits. Any remaining pits were destroyed in 2019 when Haripur saw the worst flood in a century, inundating many surrounding villages and ravaging crops. This kind of flooding has devastated not only Indian farmers but others worldwide, leading to crop losses and disrupted livelihoods. For many farmers, expensive modern storage methods remain out of reach, and climate change-related losses make it difficult to afford better solutions. Haripur resident Narayan Fakade, 53, once owned 180 such pits. He lost them all in the 2005 flood. “A peve required no maintenance. This was nature’s gift to our village,” he said proudly. Turmeric hardens and matures while stored in the pit, which sometimes helps increase the quality and the weight. “I once stored 250 quintals of turmeric, which increased to 260 quintals in a decade,” Fakade said. Since these pits were thoroughly vacuumed, they were resistant to pest attacks. Today, wild grasses and invasive plants grow in Haripur’s broken pits. And with climate disasters on the rise, many traditional food storage systems like this one risk going extinct. Traditional storage systems threatened by climate change globally India faces a massive problem of post-harvest crop losses, which occur at multiple points from harvest to storage and transportation. According to a 2020-21 study, India reported post-harvest losses of 1.52 trillion Indian rupees ($18.24 billion) for 54 crops. This is due to several factors, such as improper harvesting practices, unscientific storage methods, insect attacks, mishandling, and lack of post-harvest infrastructure. But climate change has been worsening those losses. For turmeric alone — for which India produces 75% of the world’s supply, with an export value of $207.45 million for the 2022-23 fiscal year — studies estimate a 5.36% annual post-harvest loss. The problem isn’t restricted to India. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, western Africa lost 24% of its food to post-harvest losses in 2021, followed by the Caribbean and southern Africa with losses of 23% and 20%, respectively Climate change is threatening traditional food storage systems across the world. Granaries on stilts, commonly used in Southeast Asia and West Africa, protect stored grains from pests and humidity by elevating them above the ground. The zeer pot, used in parts of rural Africa and the Middle East, is made of two clay pots of different sizes with a layer of wet sand in between. As the water evaporates, the pot cools, which helps preserve vegetables in hot and arid climates. “To make any successful model, we must ultimately learn to care for the planet. Otherwise, we will keep coming up with something which will eventually be destroyed by climate change.” --— Narayan Fakade, Indian farmer In Africa, grains like maize and sorghum are stored in traditional granaries, made of local materials like clay, mud, thatch, or woven grass. These granaries are affected by pest attacks because rising temperatures increase the pest population. “Changes in humidity are driving fungal growth in stored crops whereas in some places on the African continent, high moisture levels, particularly detrimental to grains and legumes, are causing a rise in mold and mycotoxin contamination,” explained Matthew Ogwu, an integrated ecologist and sustainable development professor at Appalachian State University. Many farmers rely on traditional storage methods that lack modern temperature and moisture control mechanisms, making them vulnerable to spoilage and pest attacks. In traditional structures, temperature fluctuations cause moisture accumulation either at the top or bottom of the grains’ bulk. This can lead to grain spoilage. Ogwu added that, with climate change, traditional storage methods may not effectively protect against evolving pest threats. “Flooding, for instance, can inundate underground storage pits used for crops like yams, cassava, cocoyam, and potatoes, causing significant spoilage,” he said. Mounting burden on farmers But farmers in lower-income countries often can’t use modern storage facilities — the kind with temperature control and that can better keep out pests — because they can’t afford them. Traditional storage structures, meanwhile, are considerably low cost. In Haripur, turmeric was stored between February and June every year. Pit owners charged 5-10 rupees ($0.06-$0.1) per year to store 100 kilograms of turmeric. Meanwhile, farmers said cold storage facilities or warehouses charge them between 120-200 rupees ($1.43-$2.3) yearly for the same quantity. The price farmers get for their turmeric depends on more prominent traders, governments, and corporations. Often, the farmers with no access to affordable storage systems lose out. For instance, farmers in several parts of western Maharashtra got $77 for 100 kilograms of turmeric last year. “Sometimes, the price can even go [up to] $155. It also depends on who can store it for a longer time till they get a good price in the market,” explained Fakade. An acre can yield roughly 1,800-2,000 kilograms. With costlier modern storage systems out of reach, many farmers report dwindling profits as they are forced to sell their crops to traders quickly without much negotiating power. “As a result, most of the farmers in western Maharashtra have now shifted to water-guzzling sugarcane,” explained farmer Vishnu Bhosale from Jambhali village, where farmers now grow sugarcane along with soybeans. Another positive feature of pits was their security. In Haripur, people who tried stealing turmeric from these pits could die because of a lack of oxygen. Before removing turmeric from these pits, workers would first lower a lantern. If the light went off, it meant there wasn’t yet enough oxygen. “The workers removed turmeric only after a few hours once the pit had been adequately ventilated,” shared Sarjerao Vitekari, 49, from Haripur, who once owned 53 pits. “Floods completely change the soil structure, making it impossible to repair a pit,” Fakade said. Moreover, recurring losses caused by floods have made it even more difficult for farmers to dig a new pit. Today it would cost a minimum of 20,000 rupees ($238). “Also, people don’t know how to dig these pits as there’s no written record of it,” he shared. To make ends meet, a few pit owners in Haripur have refilled the pits with debris and waste materials, added a layer of soil above it, and have started cultivating sugarcane. None have attempted to rebuild the storage pits since 2019 given the vulnerability to floods. “The climate has changed so drastically that even if it rains for a week now, we fear it will flood again,” said Vitekari. According to the Indian Central Water Commission, from 2015-2020, floods affected over 218 million people in India, destroying crops on 34.76 million hectares of farmland. Blending traditional systems with modern solutions The first step in integrating indigenous knowledge with modern technologies is to document and preserve traditional practices, Ogwu said. “Indigenous knowledge about food storage is often passed down orally and risks being lost as older generations pass away,” he said. To mitigate the losses, he advised developing resilient storage facilities. In Kenya and Ghana, innovative solutions are being developed to improve food storage, such as hermetic bags for storing grains and improved structures to keep yams safe. Varieties resistant to storage pests and spoilage can also help mitigate the losses. Alongside making affordable storage technologies accessible, Ogwu said: “Training on monitoring and controlling storage conditions is essential while governments can support by investing in community storage facilities designed to withstand climate extremes.” For instance, local governments in the drylands of Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, and Kenya have established climate adaptation funds and are investing in a variety of initiatives, including food storage. Moreover, ongoing research into the effects of climate change on storage systems and the development of innovative solutions is vital. Jacobs Mobolade Adesina, head of the crop, soil, and pest management technology department at Nigeria’s Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, suggested fostering partnerships between indigenous communities, researchers, and technology experts. “This collaboration can help adapt modern technologies to local contexts while respecting and integrating indigenous practices. For example, using remote sensing and GIS (geographic information system) mapping can complement indigenous knowledge of land use patterns and crop suitability,” he explained. In Italy’s Basilicata region, remote sensing has been used to assess land degradation trends for over 20 years, focusing on issues like soil salinization, erosion, and biodiversity loss. Adesina also advocated for implementing mechanisms to monitor the impact of integrated approaches on food security, biodiversity conservation, and community well-being. While the pits in Haripur have become history, they hold several lessons in minimizing farm losses. “To make any successful model, we must ultimately learn to care for the planet,” Fakade said. “Otherwise, we will keep coming up with something which will eventually be destroyed by climate change.”