Food Security

This blog was originally posted on IFPRI.org. It was written by Kelly Jones and Vivian Hoffmann from IFPRI’s Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division as part of an ongoing series of researcher-authored blog stories highlighting research in progress at IFPRI.

Aflatoxin, a toxin produced by the Aspergillus fungus, poses a serious health threat in developing countries. The toxin grows in a number of staple crops worldwide, such as maize, and chronic exposure can lead to liver disease, cancer, and even death. While proper testing and processing of crops can reduce aflatoxin levels in finished food products like maize flour, many developing countries lack the regulatory environment needed to enforce such testing and handling requirements.

New labeling system may bring safe, affordable maize flour to Kenyan consumers

Kenyan consumers are demanding maize flour that is safe from contamination by aflatoxin, a chemical linked to cancer and other health problems. The toxin, produced by certain fungi, is commonly found in maize from several regions of Kenya due to a combination of environmental conditions and poor post-harvest practices.

In the past, discussions about food security have typically focused on the quantity of food that people eat rather than the quality .  However, micronutrient deficiencies are becoming increasingly recognized as a serious threat to the health and economic development of low-income populations. As a result, nutrition is garnering more and more attention in the development community.

Smallholder farmers produce 80 percent of the food in Africa south of the Sahara, playing an important part in the region’s economy. But climate change is placing greater constraints on traditional agricultural methods, and farmers, both large and small, must find ways to adapt to this new environment.