Food Storage Manual
David J Walker and Graham Farrell (eds)

Food aid, by its nature, is of great importance to its recipients. Whether used in emergency operations, in extended relief and recovery projects, or in longer-term development programmes, food commodities must be managed in such a way that they retain their nutritional value until distributed to the beneficiaries. This Food Storage Manual provides comprehensive information on the many factors affecting the procurement, transportation, handling and storage of food aid commodities. In particular, it provides sound practical guidance on the prevention and detection of commodity deterioration, including: choosing suitable stores; building bag stacks; inspecting and sampling commodities for quality assurance; conducting safe fumigations; and rodent control.

This is the fourth edition of this Manual, first produced for the World Food Programme (WFP) in 1969. This edition has been revised and updated to incorporate new knowledge and to present the information in a form that is more practical for use by decision-makers in the field whilst still retaining its value as a reference text for the office. It is recommended that it should be used in conjunction with the recently-revised WFP pictorial publication “Warehouse Management – A Handbook for Storekeepers of Food Aid.” The Manual also includes a glossary of food aid terms, a list of recommended warehouse equipment, illustrative case studies, and suggestions for further reading.

The Food Storage Manual is jointly published by the University of Greenwich and the World Food Programme. Although it is written by NRI specifically for the guidance of staff of WFP, this new edition is also intended to be of interest and value to the many other organizations that are concerned with, and responsible for, the safe and timely delivery of food aid worldwide.

For more information contact David Walker at NRI (D.J.Walker@gre.ac.uk).