Agriculture and food security dimentions of aflatoxin

Agriculture & Food Security

Dimensions of Aflatoxins

Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria

IFPRI/IITA/TNVASU GROUP DISCUSSION, TNAU, CHENNAI, INDIA, 14 JUNE 2013

www.iita.org

Where we are

Our R4D activities reach

approximately 85% of

national systems in Africa

and beyond.

www.iita.org

We work with partners in Africa

and beyond to reduce producer

and consumer risks, enhance

crop quality and productivity, and

generate wealth from agriculture.

What we do

Who we are

Our research for development activities

have delivered over 70% of the CGIAR's

positive impact on the food security and

livelihoods of over 500 million people in

sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

www.iita.org

• Highly toxic metabolite produced by the ubiquitous Aspergillus flavus fungus

• The fungus resides in soil and crop debris, infects crops and produces the toxin in the field and in stores

Aflatoxin Facts

• Contamination possible without visible signs of the fungus

• Fungus carried from field to store

www.iita.org

Aflatoxin Problem Starts in the Field

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Farmers

Afl

ato

xin

(p

pb

)

792 309

2010: Maize

64% fields above 20 ppb at harvest in northern Nigeria

Increases in stores; interventions required in field and stores

acute

acute hepatic necrosis, cirrhosis,

carcinoma

Death; 108 in 1974 in Gujarat, 250

to 15,000 ppb aflatoxins in corn

chronic

carcinogenic

anti-nutritional

immune-suppressive

gut integrity?

BBC 2004, Gong et al 2004, NIEHS 2010

underreported

unknown

Human Health Effects

Kenya

district samples total aflatoxin levels (ppb)

<20 21-99 100-1,000 >1,000

Makueni 91 35 13 40 12

Kitui 73 38 21 32 10

Machakos 102 49 25 23 3

Thika 76 66 17 13 4

Total 342 47% 19% 27% 7%

CDC and Kenyan Ministry of Health 2004

Total samples % samples with aflatoxin levels (ppb)

<5 5-15 16-30 >30

2074 53% 6% 15% 26%

Bhat et al. 1997; Food Add. & Cont.

India

Aflatoxins in Markets

www.iita.org

Aflatoxin and Poultry (Broilers)

Aflatoxin

levels in

feeds in

Nigeria

Aflatoxin level (ppb) Samples (%)

<20 (safe) 38

>20 to 100 (up to 5x) 14

>100 to 500 (up to 25x) 41

>500 to 1,000 (up to 100x) 7

AF-free diet 500 ppb AF diet

AF-free

diet

500 ppb AF diet

~40% reduction in

live weight (8 weeks)

EC 2007

Aflatoxin and Trade

Aflatoxin

Intervention

Medical

Agriculture

Surveillance

Enterosorption

Pre-harvest

Food processing

e.g. Novasil clay

Agriculture & Medical Prevention of Aflatoxin-

related Food Security and Health Effects

(Adapted from Wild and Hall, Mutation Res., 2000)

Awareness

Regulation

Provision of safe food

Early diagnosis

Post-harvest

www.iita.org

AF36

Aflaguard

Biocontrol WORKS

In 100’S of thousands of acres in

the US!

IT WORKS In Africa

TOO!

Aflasafe

Strong Partnership

www.iita.org

• IITA • USDA • AATF • BMGF • Doreo Partners • National institutions

www.iita.org A member of CGIAR consortium

Biocontrol

Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

In nature, some strains produce a lot

(toxigenic), and others no aflatoxin

(atoxigenic)

Atoxigenic strains are already present on

the crop

Increase the frequency of atoxigenic

strains & shift population profile

Thus, aflatoxin contamination reduced

Atoxigenic strains can be applied without

increasing infection and without

increasing the overall quantity of A.

flavus on the crop or in the environment

Strains move from field to stores

Multiple year & crop carry-over effect

We use only native strains

0

25

50

75

100

Natural Biocontrol

Incid

en

ce (

%)

T

O

X

I

G

E

N

I

C

A

T

O

X

I

G

E

N

I

C

How Does aflasafe Work?

Broadcast @ 10 kg/ha 2-3 weeks before flowering

Sporulation on moist soil

Spores

Insects

Aflasafe in 5 kg boxes

3-20 days

Wind

Soil colonization

30-33 grains m-2

Fungal network in killed grain

www.iita.org A member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

Atoxigenic Strain Identification

Collection/characterization Toxin assay

Field

efficacy

test

Lab

competition

assay

VCG/DNA characterization

cnx nia-D

Unknown 2

+


Strain Selection Criteria


In the laboratory (~5,000 strains):

• Does not produce aflatoxin

• VCG/SSR group with

• Wide geographic distribution

• No toxigenic member

• Defective in >2 aflatoxin & CPA

genes

• Outcompetes toxigenic strains After field application:

• Superior capacity to colonize,

multiply and survive in soil

• Superior frequency of isolation

from grains

• Superior capacity to reduce

aflatoxin 8-12 native strains

selected for field tests

4 native strains

formulated into

the final

product

NAFDAC officials inspecting maize fields treated with AflaSafe

www.iita.org

Farmers treating maize and groundnut fields with Aflasafe in Nigeria

MAIZE: Aflatoxin reduction (%)

Stage 2009 2010 2011 2012

Harvest 82 94 83 93

Storage 92 93 x x

PEANUT: Aflatoxin reduction (%)

Stage 2009 2010 2011

Harvest - 95 82

Storage 100 80 x

Results from 482

on-farm trials

71% and 52% carry-over of

inoculum 1 & 2 years after

application

75

94 100

0 3

39

73

27

100

80

60

40

20

0

<4 <10 <20 >20

EU WFP US unsafe

maximum allowable aflatoxin level (ppb)

farm

ers'

fie

lds

(%)

Aflasafe

untreated

Productivity increased of communities in

aflasafe-treated areas

DALYs saved: 103,000 - 184,000 cost-effectiveness ratio: 5.1 - 24.8

Source: Felicia Wu, Pittsburgh Univ.

www.iita.org

Impact of Aflasafe on Trade and Health

Plots

Observed

aflatoxin

Apparent

reduction

Applied

VCGs

in Control

Aflatoxin if

Applied VCGs

not Present

Actual

Reduction

Treated 17 ppb

64% 88%

Control 49 ppb 66% 143 ppb

Data Measured Calculated Measured Calculated Calculated


KENYA: On-Station Trials


Substrate and time of sampling Katumani Kiboko

Soil before application 70 44

Maize grain at harvest 5 0

Incidence (%) of S strain and Aspergillus parasiticus in soil before

treatment and on the crop at harvest, Katumani

Apparent Versus Actual Reductions in Aflatoxin, Bura

www.iita.org

Farmers treating groundnut fields

Aflatoxin Reduction:

2010 : 87% at harvest; 89% after Storage

2011: 82% at harvest; 93% after Storage

38 Farms Treated in 2010



Senegal: aflasafe SN01



Product Types


National

Products

Products ready for registration

Products under testing

Strain development in progress

Aflasafe-NigeriaTM

Aflasafe-SenegalTM

Aflasafe-KenyaTM etc…

Aflasafe-WestTM

Aflasafe-EastTM

Aflasafe-SouthTM

Regional

Products Senegal

Mali

Burkina

Ghana

Nigeria

Kenya

Tanzania

Mozambique

Zambia


Aflasafe Production in Lab


30 tons produced in 2011 and 2012 for deployment


Training & Use by Farmers


Policy Statement by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Nigeria

Various Nigerian stakeholders have developed a 5 year, 4 step commercialization plan. All parties involved, IITA, Doreo, and the government, have critical roles to play over the next five years to ensure that Aflasafe treated food crops are successfully introduced into the market.

Dr Akin Adesina

http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=akin+adesina&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=vlcRQGJz5-orjM&tbnid=v3kFwkGlMnnIZM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.osundefender.org/?p=51925&ei=f4miUfSTDciTPe2ZgOgH&psig=AFQjCNEcCqlJf-HYL4p02xyK3WR0aRGBNA&ust=1369692672456156


Markets for Aflasafe


Poultry industry

Export-oriented aggregators

Food processors

Large commercial farmers

Smallholder farmers

Market based

• Poultry feed

• Premium food

market

AgResults (Incentive-

cum-market based)

ma

rke

t d

em

an

d f

or

Afl

as

afe

• 60% maize consumed by farmers

• 40% sold in the market

Maize & Poultry Growth

• Nigerian maize production has grown from 4 million metric tons in 2000 to a 7.3 million metric tons in 2010

• Nigerian poultry production has grown from 113 Million birds in 2000 to 192 million birds in 2010

• Poultry feed is approximately 60% maize.

• >60% of maize has >20 ppb aflatoxin

• Poultry farmers currently paying $3-13 per ton of feed for aflatoxin binders

• Annual demand for maize: 1 million tons

Nigerian Govt Bans Poultry Imports

Index of growth in production for maize and

poultry relative to Nigeria’s production in 1961*

Measure: Relative growth in production

Poultry Industry… Key Driver of Domestic Maize Production

Poultry Feeding Study

$3,200 net

profit from

10,000 birds

in 8 weeks

www.iita.org Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013 A member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

Aflasafe maize feed Toxic maize feed


Key Economic Drivers

• Ex-factory price: $12.2 including 28% EBITDA

• Farm Gate price: $15.6

• Maize yield required for farmers to recover aflasafe cost + 33% profit: 3.5 t/ha

• Yield enhancement to go hand in with aflasafe use

• Innovation Platform: Poultry farmers to buy all aflasafe maize at a premium


Willingness to Pay

www.iita.org Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013 A member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

100% 99%

83%

60%

25%

19%

34% 31%

18%

12%

5% 4% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

$0 $3 - $6 $6 -$9 $9 - $12 $12 - $15 $15 - $19 $20

Farmers who have used Aflasafe (n=246) Farmers who have not used Aflasafe (n=119)

Target Farm Gate Price

Range

• All prior-users willing to pay; almost 50% non-users willing to pay

• Prior-users willing to pay more than non-users Source: G. Okpachu & T. Abdoulaye

www.iita.org A member of CGIAR consortium Date: 28 May, 2013

Aflasafe Plant Plan

Lab

Inoculation, Packaging

& Product Storage

Grain Intake,

Cleaning,

Pasteurisation

and Storage

Capacity 5 tons/hour

Babban Gona Pilot


• Farmers’ cooperative with professional management

• Credit, inputs and technical services

• Yield enhancing practices

• Aflatoxin awareness

• Aflasafe use

• Aflatoxin testing – 100% met standard

• Incentive for meeting aflatoxin standard

• Warehousing

• Output marketing – linking to market

• Return profit after sale ($140/ha)

• Farmers keep part of the harvest for family use

Summary • Aflatoxins in food and feed pervasive in Africa

• Biological control in conjunction with other management practices can dramatically reduce aflatoxin contamination and improve food safety and security

• Efforts underway to pilot commercialization of aflatoxin biocontrol and develop regional strains

• Technologies available but must be implemented to reduce aflatoxin burden in African economies and food system

• Support and partnership needed from national governments, regulators, donors/investors, private food/feed sector and farmer groups

www.iita.org

Experimental varieties

Aflatoxin reduction (%)

Resistance alone

Biocontrol alone

Resistance + Biocontrol

RSYN2-Y 66 (60) 91 (90) 97 (96)

RSYN3-W 88 (46) 74 (94) 97 (97)

SYN3-Y 68 (66) 91 (95) 97 (98)

TZB-SR (Susc.) 58 (1152) ppb 92 (86)

% Reduction in experimental varieties compared to susceptible variety (TZB-SR) under natural conditions

% Reduction in varieties with biocontrol compared to susceptible variety (TZB-SR) under natural conditions

% Reduction in biocontrol treated plots compared to control plots of the same experimental variety

% Reduction in varieties with biocontrol compared to susceptible variety (TZB-SR) under natural conditions

% Reduction in biocontrol treated plots compared to untreated plots of the same variety

Synergistic Effect of Resistance and

Biocontrol in Reducing Aflatoxins at Harvest and after poor storage

Ibadan IITA

Tucson

USDA/ARS IITA, USDA & Doreo have Teamed up to Bring

Aflatoxin Prevention to Africa

Made Possible by Many National Partners in Ministries, Industry, and on the Farm

Nigeria

For more information about aflatoxin biocontrol for Africa, check out: www.aflasafe.com

http://www.entwicklung.at/en/

Science

Agriculture and food security dimentions of aflatoxin