Scaling up innovative solutions for smallholder farmers could help eliminate aflatoxin — toxic substances commonly found in grains.

This was the suggestion provided by experts in the agriculture sector during a virtual seminar under the theme "Agriculture Innovations: Elevating Africa”.

While agriculture remains a major social and economic pillar for Africa, years of deploying outdated farming practices combined with climate change risks have caused a decline in agriculture and returns for farmers, particularly smallholder farmers.

Now experts have moved to push for scaling up of new innovative solutions in order to turn around the fortunes of smallholder farmers.

One such solution that has been mooted in Rwanda is the use of the low-cost DryCards in testing the dryness of food— a critical practice in gauging mould growth in grains.

The technology has passed the litmus test of the Rwanda Agriculture Board and Rwanda Standards Board, and is billed to be affordable and easy.

To use the DryCard, a farmer simply places it and a sample of the dried product in an airtight container such as a sealed plastic bag or jar. After a few minutes, the card’s indicator, a strip of cobalt chloride, will change colour based on the equilibrium relative humidity.

The farmer then matches the colour of the strip with the corresponding scale on the card. Pink colour on the strip means the product is too wet for safe storage, while blue or mauve means it is adequately dried.

"The solution has already been distributed to over 20,000 farmers across the country,” said Seraphin Niyonsenga, an Agricultural Policy Analyst.

The solution, which costs less than $1, is expected to reach some 50,000 smallholder farmers in Rwanda by end of 2022.

Niyonsenga said that the device could help farmers improve their gains by cutting post-harvest handling losses.

Globally, the DryCard is available for distribution in 13 countries.

"Because DryCard is manufactured locally, the technology is accessible and easily adopted,” Niyonsenga said.

The dangers of aflatoxin

Contamination of dry foods by mould is a major global problem that contributes to both food security challenges and disease transmission.

It is estimated that moulds affect approximately 25 per cent of the world’s crops, with aflatoxins being responsible for health problems such as acute poisoning, liver cancer and stunting.

Aflatoxins are more pronounced in Africa where commodities are stored under hot, humid conditions.

Contamination of staple crops such as maize and sorghum directly reduces the availability of food. 

Producers may earn less because of product rejection, reduced market value or lack of access to formal markets and higher-value international trade.

It is estimated that every year Africa loses between 400 and 670 million Euros in export earnings, and that about 26,000 Africans living south of the Sahara die of liver cancer every year through chronic aflatoxin exposure.

"40 per cent of cancer cases are caused by Aflatoxin contamination in Africa. There is also stunting caused by consumption of food contaminated with Aflatoxin,” Niyonsenga said.

Analysts have said that if left unaddressed, the problem of mould contamination will continue to present a formidable obstacle to achieving the first three Sustainable Development Goals of no poverty, zero hunger and good health and wellbeing.

Fadel Ndiame, the Deputy President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), said that IFAD has partnered with AGRA to identify, document, and promote the uptake of private-sector related innovative rural development solutions under the grant Leveraging South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) to share Rural Development Solutions for Private Sector Engagement.

"The innovative solutions are applicable and replicable to all farming areas on the continent,” he noted.

He said that there is still slow uptake of innovative solutions that can transform the agriculture sector on the African continent.

He said, once adopted, the solutions can also facilitate easy access to agriculture financing and turn smallholder farmers' fortunes around.