25th January 2016. Roundtable of aflatoxin experts on “Building a multi-stakeholder approach to mitigate aflatoxin contamination of food and feed”. Background: Food losses, issue of aflatoxin, challenges, abbreviations followed by GIZ project activities: Promotion of value chains and reduction of risk of aflatoxin contamination: by the “Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector”, commissioned by BMZ Special Initiative “ONEWORLD – No Hunger!”. Further (planned) activities to reduce post-harvest losses and possible aflatoxin contamination: by various projects worldwide Aflasafe technology in Zambia: Upscaling and dissemination in other countries in Africa: by IITA/CGIAR - CCAFS, GIZ/ITAACC, Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation, USDA, PACA and other partners Aflatoxin risk assessment as part of the Rapid Food Loss Assessment Tool (RLAT): by Sector Project Sustainable Agriculture (SV NAREN)

1. Slide 1Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
Prevention and control of
aflatoxin contamination
in value chains
Contribution of GIZ
Bruno Schuler

2. Slide 2
Content
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
1. Background: Food losses, issue of aflatoxin, challenges, abbreviations
followed by GIZ project activities:
2. Promotion of value chains and reduction of risk of aflatoxin
contamination: by the “Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and
Food Sector”, commissioned by BMZ Special Initiative
“ONEWORLD – No Hunger!”.
3. Further (planned) activities to reduce post-harvest losses and possible
aflatoxin contamination: by various projects worldwide
4. Aflasafe technology in Zambia: Upscaling and dissemination in other
countries in Africa: by IITA/CGIAR - CCAFS, GIZ/ITAACC, Bill&Melinda
Gates Foundation, USDA, PACA and other partners
5. Aflatoxin risk assessment as part of the Rapid Food Loss Assessment
Tool (RLAT): by Sector Project Sustainable Agriculture (SV NAREN)

3. Slide 3
Aflatoxin - Background
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
• FAO estimates that one third of all food produced around the world is lost before
it reaches our plates. Losses and waste occur at every level of the value chain
• Food losses occur mainly at the immediate post-harvest stages in developing
countries (whereby causes are often related to pre-harvest stages, i.e. choice of
seed)
• Around a quarter of the world food crops as well as world’s grain harvest may be
contaminated with mycotoxins (FAO)
• Contamination with aflatoxin is a major barrier in linking African farmers to
markets as aflatoxin prevents commodities from meeting international, regional
and local regulations and standards
• Most severely affected countries are those located between the 40th northern and
the 40th southern lines of latitude
• Aflatoxin is a significant threat to both human and animal health.

4. Slide 4
Biological causes
Mechanical
causes
Quantitative
losses
Qualitative
losses
Food
Losses
Aflatoxin – important factor for food losses
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
Aflatoxin

5. Slide 5
Most severely affected countries by aflatoxin
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016

6. Slide 6
Challenges for development cooperation
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
• Awareness for aflatoxin contamination and health danger is low,
especially at producer and consumer levels
• No alternatives to contaminated food available
• No methodology: How can contaminated food be treated?
• Lowering aflatoxin levels requires a systematic approach
addressing various causes

7. Slide 7
Abbreviations of organisations and programmes
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
• BMZ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
with the special Initiative “ONEWORLD – No Hunger”
• CCAFS Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (research
programme of CGIAR)
• GIAE Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector
(global programme concentrating on 12 countries in Africa)
• GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
GmbH (German development cooperation)
• ITAACC Innovation Transfer into Agriculture – Adaptation to Climate
Change (GIZ sector project with focus on Africa)
• NAREN Sustainable Agriculture (GIZ sector project with global focus)
• PACA Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (initiative)

8. 2. Promotion of value chains and reduction of risk
of aflatoxin contamination
by the
“Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector”
in some countries in Africa

9. Slide 9
Activities of GIZ
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
2. Promotion of value chains with risk of aflatoxin contamination
and reduction of risk of aflatoxin contamination:
by the “Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food
Sector” (GIAE),
commissioned by BMZ Special Initiative “ONEWORLD – No
Hunger!”.
Projects in Benin (rice, soya), Burkina Faso (rice), Cameroon
(poultry), Ethiopia (wheat, beans), Ghana (maize, rice) Kenya (milk),
Malawi (groundnuts, soya, sunflower), Mali (rice), Nigeria (rice,
maize), Togo (groundnuts, soya), Tunisia (milk, meat), Zambia (soya,
groundnuts, milk)

10. Seite 10
„ONEWORLD – No Hunger“ Initiative - Focus countries
BEN
MWL
SAM
ETH
JME
SOMGHA
KAM
KEN
MLI
TGO
KMB
NIG
IND
BUR
TUN
Food and nutrition security, enhanced resilience
Innovation Centres for the agriculture and food sector
Soil protection and rehabilitation for food security
Global Programmes:

11. Examples of planned project activities related to groundnuts in 2016
Malawi
- Provision of aflatoxin management training services
- Provision of diagnostic services
- Integrated aflatoxin management along the whole value chain
- Storage of aflatoxin-free products through improved drying technologies
and warehouse management practices
Togo
- Establishing of a national lab for aflatoxin analysis
- Extension towoards prevention of contamination during production and
post-harvest activities
Zambia
- Control and reduction of aflatoxin during production, storage and
processing

12. 3. Further (planned) activities to reduce post-
harvest losses and possible aflatoxin
contamination
by various projects
in some countries worldwide

13. Slide 13
Activities of GIZ
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
3. Further (planned) activities to reduce post-harvest losses and
possible aflatoxin contamination:
by various projects
commissioned by BMZ
Projects in
Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zimbabwe
Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, ASEAN countries
Latin America: Bolivia, Guatemala

14. 4. Aflasafe Technology in Zambia: Upscaling and
dissemination in other countries in Africa through
on-farm trials for wide uptake and utilisation
Opportunities and difficulties
in the research and development cooperation
by
IITA – International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
ITAACC - Innovation Transfer into Agriculture – Adaptation
to Climate Change (GIZ sector project with focus on Africa)
and other partners

15. www.iita.org
Aflatoxin in Zambia
District Range Mean
Proportion of samples (%)
Safe (< 4 ppb)* Unsafe (> 10 ppb)#
Chipata 0.7 – 108.8 15.1 69.2 30.8
Katete 0.0 – 10.9 3.3 85.7 14.3
Mambwe 0.0 – 255.0 55.1 10.0 80.0
Nyimba 0.0 – 81.4 16.6 60.0 33.3
Petauke 0.1 – 103.2 17.5 73.3 20.0
Aflatoxin levels (ppb) in maize flour from markets & homesteads
*As per EU standard; # As per Zambia standard

16. A member of CGIAR consortium
Aflatoxin in Zambia
District Range Mean
Proportion of samples (%)
Safe (< 4 ppb)* Unsafe (> 10 ppb)#
Chipata 0.4 – 3435 176.5 28.6 53.6
Lundazi 0.7 – 310 63.6 15.8 68.4
Mambwe 1.1 – 5234 523.3 10.0 80.0
Nyimba 1.4 – 376 76.0 33.3 55.6
Petauke 1.7 – 775 147.3 13.3 66.6
Aflatoxin levels (ppb) in groundnut flour from markets & homesteads
*As per EU standard; # As per Zambia standard

17. Aflasafe
Dead sorghum grains coated with a mixture of
atoxigenic strains, a polymer and a blue dye

18. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
2012/2013 2013/2014
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2012/2013 2013/2014
Control
Treated
Aflatoxin(ppb)
www.iita.org
Aflasafe efficacy in Zambia
A member of CGIAR consortium
96%
reduction
Maize Groundnut
89%
reduction
74%
reduction
84%
reduction

19. A member of CGIAR consortium
Aflasafe Product Development
Senegal
Burkina
Faso
Ghana
Nigeria
Kenya
Tanzania
Mozambique
Zambia
Rwanda
Malawi
Burundi
Uganda
The
Gambia
Strain
development in
progress
Products under
testing in
farmers’ fields
Product ready
for registration
Product
registered

20. A member of CGIAR consortium
Upscaling of aflasafe application
• Nigeria: Farmers to produce
260,000 tons of Aflasafe maize;
Public-Private Partnership
• Senegal: Area-wide treatment
during 2013 to 2015 with 32
tons; private sector led
• Kenya: Government buy-in;
about 230 tons procured;
excellent support
• Zambia: New effort beginning
Senegal
Kenya

21. A member of CGIAR consortium
Biocontrol efforts
• Create a sustainable system
(commercialization/public good) where
small holder farmers have access to
Aflasafe and are incentivized to utilize
Aflasafe to control aflatoxin levels
• Need for business plan, manufacturing
capacity, marketing and distribution
strategies
• Advocacy, awareness, demonstration of
product value
• Full registration, licensing and
stewardship
• Training and technical back-stopping
• Develop second generation product
• Develop regional strains

22. www.aflasafe.com

23. Slide 23
5. Rapid Loss Assessment Tool (RLAT)
for agribusiness value chains
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
by the Sector Project Sustainable Agriculture
(SV NAREN)
can be applied in crop value chains in Africa

24. Slide 24
Aflatoxin assessment
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
Rapid Loss Assessment Tool (RLAT) for agribusiness value chains”
contains a part for aflatoxin risk assessment
Tool developed by the Sector Project Sustainable Agriculture in
cooperation with project in Ghana
Publications: user guide for maize (2015), toolbox (2016), case study of
maize in Ghana (2016)
The tool can be applied for food loss and aflatoxin risk assessment in
crop value chains in cooperation with projects.

25. Slide 25
Integrating the aflatoxin risk into the Rapid Food Loss Appraisal Tool
Division „Rural Development and Agriculture“21.03.2016
Bio-physical measurements:
 Indication of aflatoxin risk via number of discoloured grains (which has no direct
relationship with aflatoxin, but indicates a higher risk)
 Use of blue-light as aflatoxin indicator not successful – high rate of
instrumentation needed in the field, including access to power
 Laboratory testing is too lengthy and complicated (sampling!) for RLAT, but
should be recommended as a follow up if a high risk has been detected by the
number of discoloured grains
Aflatoxin checklist:
 Points of increased risk for aflatoxin contamination along the production to
consumption chain
 Risk evaluated as percentage of positive responses
 List has to be specifically conceived for every commodity

26. Sector Project „Sustainable Management of Resources in Agriculture" Page 26
Example: Transect Walk

27. Slide 27
Small Scale Farmer
Production
Market loss
Supply shortage
Discarded Grain
Litigation
Human health
impact
Sale to local
market
Market loss
Reduced milk
productivity
Livestock disease
burden
Reduced prices of
products
Discarded products
Human health
impact
Disease burden
Reduced
productivity
Contaminated
livestock products
Own consumptionLivestock feed
Export - oriented Farmer
Production
Human health
impact
Disease burden
Reduced
productivity
Own consumptionSale to trader
Export
Quality standards
not met

28. Slide 28
Thank you for your attention!
Sector Project "Sustainable Agriculture"
See also library on post-harvest publications:
https://www.donorplatform.org/postharvest-losses-and-food-
waste/on-common-ground