Vegetables and fruit are high-value crops, and their production, processing, and marketing offer more employment and income opportunities because they are more labor-intensive than staple crops. For instance, studies from Cambodia, Niger, and Vietnam showed that profits per hectare were 3-14 times higher in vegetable production than in rice production, while profits per labor day were double (Joosten et al., 2015). It was also shown that vegetable production in six Asian countries used, on average, 297 labor days per hectare per season against 116 labor days for cereal production (Weinberger & Lumpkin, 2007). Hence, vegetable production, processing, and marketing might offer a profitable business opportunity for youth and women. Secondly, fruit and vegetables are an important component of the diet globally. Although the prevalence of hunger has declined globally in recent decades, ‘hidden hunger' continues to be a critical issue impacting the health and nutritional status of a significant proportion of the world's population (Schreinemachers et al., 2018). A recent study estimated that over half of preschool-aged children and two-thirds of non-pregnant women of reproductive age worldwide have micronutrient deficiencies (Stevens et al., 2022). It is equally important to note that almost 2.1 billion people are overweight or obese (Ng et al., 2014). Fruit and vegetables are vital sources of micronutrients crucial for maintaining health. Vegetables with high potassium support healthy blood pressure, while dietary fiber lowers cholesterol and reduces heart disease risk. Folate minimizes birth defect risks, vitamin A maintains eye and skin health, and vitamin C promotes oral health and aids iron absorption (Schreinemachers et al., 2018). Recognizing these benefits, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily intake of 400 g of fruit and vegetables to prevent chronic diseases and ensure essential micronutrients (WHO/FAO, 2003). Globally, 25-50% of fruit and vegetables are lost at the post-harvest stage, constituting approximately one-third of the world's total food production (Bancal & Ray, 2022). A recent study pinpointed eight key factors contributing to significant fruit and vegetable value chain losses. These factors include poor coordination between production, processing, and fresh markets, inadequate seasonal demand forecasting for non-producing regions, limited knowledge sharing about demand and supply, insufficient logistics in catchment areas, a lack of cold chain facilities, improper planting and sowing timing, resistance to diversifying crops, and a shortage of specialized vehicles (Anand & Barua, 2022). In addition, postharvest losses due to pests or diseases can manifest at any point in the postharvest handling process, spanning from the moment of harvest to the eventual consumption of the produce. For instance, fruit and vegetables are highly prone to substantial losses due to various plant pathogenic fungi, such as Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium italicum, P. digitatum, P. expansum, Monilia fructicola, M. laxa, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides,Rhizopus stolonifer, Botryiodiplodia theobromae, and many others (Youssef et al., 2022). Therefore, it is crucial to implement technological interventions at post-harvest stages to mitigate pests and diseases, thereby minimizing both quantitative and qualitative losses in fruit and vegetables. The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) has developed and/or piloted technologies to reduce post-harvest losses in Asia and Africa.