Revamping the groundnut value chain of West Africa through aflatoxin mitigation

Dr. Amare Ayalew, Program Manager PACA Secretariat

1 - 2 September 2015. Dakar, Senegal. PACA organized a workshop on “Revamping the groundnut value chain of West Africa through aflatoxin mitigation”. 

Since the 1960s, groundnut production and trade have been declining in many West African countries due to various factors among which the most critical is aflatoxin contamination. It is believed that many countries in the region would unleash their groundnut sector’s potential if they could effectively tackle the aflatoxin menace.

The objectives of the workshop were:

• Share perspectives on the state of the aflatoxin challenge in groundnut value chains in West Africa and opportunities for intervention
• Discuss the current policy landscape of West African States in relation to aflatoxin control, food safety as well as trade and identify actions to address gaps
• Discuss current technological practices for aflatoxin prevention and control and explore new options
• Review and validate the ECOWAS Aflatoxin Control Action Plan as a step towards facilitating adoption in the region 



Right: Dyborn Chibonga of NASFAM Malawi

• Identify new, and strengthen existing partnership opportunities among national, regional and international stakeholders in aflatoxin management and agree on strategies for mobilizing required investments to support priority activities.

The workshop was jointly organized by PACA Secretariat,Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Pan African Agribusiness and Agro Industry Consortium, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Agency for International Development, West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Government of Senegal and other partners.

A workshop summary and communique will be shared soon. The following workshop materials are available:

• Program of the workshop "Revamping the groundnut value chain of West Africa through aflatoxin mitigation" (English and French)
• Concept Note for the workshop "Revamping the groundnut value chain of West Africa through aflatoxin mitigation" (English; French)
• Scoping Study to Assess the Policy Environment and Capacity for Aflatoxin Control in the ECOWAS Member States (English; French)
• The previous Regional Workshop on the Aflatoxin Challenge in West African States was in Accra 18-20 November 2013. See: Communique and Meeting Materials

Workshop Session 2: Scene-setting Presentations:

• The groundnut industry: past, present and future; by Richard Awuah, Nkwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
• The aflatoxin challenge to the groundnut sector in West Africa and intervention opportunities; by Lamine Senghor, La Direction de la Protection des Végétaux, Senegal
• The economic impact of aflatoxins in West Africa: the case of Gambia, Nigeria and Senegal; by Joseph Ndenn, Iris Consulting, The Gambia; Papa Diedhou, Cabinet Bioscope, Senegal; Olusegun Atanda, McPherson University, Nigeria

Workshop Session 5: 

• Presentation of the ECOWAS Aflatoxin Control Action Plan by Ernest Aubee, ECOWAS

Workshop Session 6: Towards Priority Actions; Input Presentations:

• Technology and best practice solutions for scaling (gaps and opportunities for action); by Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, IITA, Samuel Njoroge, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Peter Cotty, US Department of Agriculture
• Policy frameworks and regulations for aflatoxin control in West Africa (gaps and opportunities for action); by Kerstin Hell, Independent Expert
• Who should finance aflatoxin control and why; by Alinani Simukonda, Entry Point Africa

PAEPARD video interviews:
Interview with Dr. Janet Edeme, Head Rural Economy Divison, African Union Commission, Dept. of Rural Economy and Agriculture. Dr. Edeme answers following questions:

1. How serious in the aflatoxin contamination? 
2. What do you expect from donors? 
3. Why is PACA important for multi stakeholder coordination? 
4. Don't we need greater awareness of the consumer? 

Interview with Papa Ousseynou SANE, C.E.O Snambel Production et Distribution: Les défits de l'exportation d'arachides non-contaminée Papa Ousseynou SANE answers following questions:

1. Pourquoi devez-vous assurer une non-contamination par l'aflatoxin comme exportateur d'arachide?
2. Quel est le business model des Fonds d' Investissement?
3. Quelle est votre experience avec les Fonds d'Investissement?
4. Quel support recevez-vous des chercheurs Senegalais?
5. Quelle est l'importance d'un Partenariat Publique Prive (PPP) pour combattre l'aflatoxin?

Related:
28-29th of September 2015. Lilongwe, Malawi. Southern Africa Peanut Value Chain Meeting in Malawi. Dr. Rick Brandenburg from North Carolina State University, PMIL Lead Scientist for the Southern Africa Peanut Value Chain Intervention, is hosting a project meeting.

Over 50 project partners including researchers, students, and private sector actors from the target countries, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, plus collaborators from the United States and the United Kingdom will attend the meeting. Initial findings and updates from the ongoing projects that span the value chain will be presented to improve multidisciplinary and regional cooperation and impact during the completion of the project.

Visit the website for more information about the Southern Africa Peanut Value Chain Intervention project.