EAC REGIONAL PROJECT ON AFLATOXIN CONTROL TAKES OFF

East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, 3 March 2014: A regional project on Aflatoxin control is set to kick-off with an inception workshop scheduled for 6-7 March 2014 at the Sun Safari Hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Republic of Burundi, Hon. Odette Kayetesi is to officially open the workshop, which is to be attended by Partner States officials, experts, the African Union, the Development Partners supporting the project (USAID) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the media.

Commenting ahead of the Inception Workshop, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors Hon. Jesca Eriyo notes that millions of people living in the East Africa region consume high and unsafe levels of Aflatoxin through their diets on a daily basis and it (Aflatoxin) pose adverse health and economic effects along the food production and supply value chain, undermining efforts to improve nutrition, enhance agricultural production and minimizes economic gains from agricultural products, especially for small scale farmers.
 
“Therefore the main objective of the inception workshop is to introduce to key Stakeholders the components and implementation arrangements of the EAC Regional Project on Aflatoxin Control and Prevention and constitute the Regional Experts Working Group on Aflatoxins”

“We need a holistic and multi-sectoral approach that encompasses Agriculture, Health, Trade and Industry sectors in the implementation of this Project at national and regional levels” concludes the EAC official.


The EAC regional project on Aflatoxin will be implemented with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The EAC will also work closely with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as a collaborating partner that will be responsible for technical backstopping.
 
Dr Victor Manyong Director for IITA Eastern Africa based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, notes that the East Africa region is one of the hotspots of aflatoxin contamination – it has all the right conditions that the natural occurring fungi that produce aflatoxins thrive in. This has led to the destruction of millions of tonnes of grains to the dismay of resource poor and also often, food insecure small-holder farmers leading to huge losses of much-needed income and food, and trade and health consequences

“Researchers at IITA have been researching on ways to control aflatoxins for the past decade –with considerable success- and we are very excited to be part of this project to share the knowledge and technologies we have developed and to support the East Africa Communitiy to find sustainable ways to deal with aflatoxins”.

IITA will be responsible for developing the regional biocontrol aflatoxin program, technical papers and policy briefs that will inform the development of an evidence-based EAC Regional Policy on Aflatoxins abatement. Technical papers will be generated in the areas of standards for food and feed, impacts on human and animal health, biocontrol and post-harvest handling, alternative uses and disposal systems, economic impact on trade and a communication strategy.