1ST AFLASAFE FOR AFRICA CONFERENCE, FIGHTING AFLATOXIN IN FOOD

4 –5 November 2019, Arusha, Tanzania The Aflasafe Technology Transfer and Commercialisation initiative (ATTC), led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has given rise to a team of private-sector partners across Africa who have made significant investments in producing and commercialising Aflasafe®, an IITA research product whose pre-harvest application enables crop production with little – or no – aflatoxin, while providing postharvest protection too.

Venturing into this commercialisation arena at different times over the past three years are peerless, pioneering, private-sector players. In a relatively short time, they have remarkably: 

• increased the production of Aflasafe at country level; 
• mapped Aflasafe’s route to market; 
• forged partnerships that have increased Aflasafe’s availability, accessibility and use; and, 
• linked up with buyers of aflatoxin-safe maize and groundnuts. 

From this, they have gained considerable practical hands-on experience on what works and does not work; tested different approaches, refining and discarding some; failed, and gone back to the drawing board; and are still going strong! 

As such, it is now timely to gather this brave band of trailblazing Aflasafe manufacturing and distribution partners together to, among others: 

1. Report their progress commercialising Aflasafe 
2. Exchange experiences and lessons learnt in the course of doing business (What worked and what failed? Solutions found. Pinpoint areas for more attention) 
3. Build the capacity of manufacturing and distribution partners on new developments in Aflasafe technology and production 
4. Forge connections between manufacturing and distribution partners, regulators, suppliers of manufacturing equipment and consumables,