Inventory of the Different Methods of Natural Conservation of Food Crops Used in the Markets of Daloa (Ivory Coast)
Food in West Africa is one of the main sources of cash income. It plays an important role in feeding populations (rural and urban). These vegetables are very perishable foods, and generally seasonal, causing several post-harvest losses. Lack of knowledge of the natural techniques used by our peasants to conserve their various crops hampers their application, as well as their popularization. It is with this in mind that this study was initiated. It is based first of all on a survey carried out on large markets and supermarkets in the commune of Daloa (Ivory Coast), with a view to identifying the most widely used natural food conservation methods. It appears from these surveys that the open air preservation method was the most common at 80%. This method is widely used on eggplants (42.29%), tomatoes (33.66%) and okra (24.05%) in the markets. This method could favor certain physico-chemical parameters of the food crop to the detriment of others. The results of surveys carried out in the field have made it possible to show the need to popularize the food sector by training our various producers and sellers in order to know the basic basics of conservation.