Aflatoxins are a naturally occurring carcinogenic byproduct of common fungi on grains and other crops, particularly maize and groundnuts. They pose a significant public health risk in many tropical developing countries and are also a barrier to the growth of domestic and international commercial markets for food and feed. In recent years the aflatoxin problem has garnered greatly increased attention from both policy and donor communities around the globe as an estimated 26,000 Africans living south of the Sahara die annually of liver cancer associated with chronic aflatoxin exposure. There are also broader health effects associated with aflatoxins, such as immune suppression with higher rates of illness and child stunting.
IFPRI has published nineteen briefs which collectively provide a much clearer picture of the state of current efforts at combatting aflatoxins. They also identify what gaps loom particularly large—including the need for contry-specific risk analysis and for testing integrated solutions for the entire supply chain—in our global efforts to effectively reduce human exposure to aflatoxins and increase the economic returns to smallholders in agriculture.
The full report/set of briefs can be downloaded here!