Food drying is considered one of the oldest ways in which to preserve food, but it is not an area that is heavily invested in despite its contributions towards curbing food wastage and contributing towards increased food security in Guyana. Guyana, through the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), implemented food drying technology in the early 2000s. This, however, has been limited both in its scope, and the variety of goods selected for drying.
As a small developing state, it is important for Guyana to begin implementing and advancing socio-technical technologies such as food drying on a wider scale to ensure that food wastage is curbed. It will ensure that persons have more access to nutritional food throughout the year, particularly during times of food instability caused by price fluctuations and/or changing weather patterns. Since 2019, Guyana has been experiencing prolonged food shortages due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which significantly slowed down trade (OECD, 2022), and changing weather patterns that have disrupted agricultural cycles and destroyed crops. These events contributed towards significant price hikes in goods and produce, resulting in a sharp uptick in the poverty rate which now stands at 48%. Guyana’s food wastage rate stands at 30%, while food insecurity rates stand at 58%. Given the reclassification of Guyana’s economy as high-income, there have been rising debt repayment rates and inflation levels that affect the majority of the population as income levels remain stagnant. These percentages are estimated to increase, demonstrating an urgent need for enhanced focus on efforts to manage food security for citizens.