Aflatoxin: A Synthesis of the Research in Health, Agriculture and Trade

“...Kenya’s trade
policies have become
the most important
regulator of regional
maize flow...”
country
tRADe floWS
top agricultural exports for Africa include maize and peanuts. examples of
trade flows for Kenya—as well as a brief overview of the impact of World food
Programme activities in Africa—are outlined below.
f.1 iMPortS And exPortS
europe is the most important market for African exports; between 1989 and
1998, the eU imported approximately two-thirds of its peanut exports from
African countries prior to raising its standards. 22 While intraregional trade
throughout Africa continues to be robust, aflatoxin contamination limits how
much Africa can enter global export markets As discussed earlier, experts
estimate losses at more than $400 million due to stringent eU standards alone.
Without significant measures to hamper aflatoxin exposure of key crops such
as maize, cereals, and peanuts, east African community (eAc) exports cannot
hope to overcome the key barriers to external trade which include compliance
costs of rejected food and safety standards.
f.2 u.n. world food ProGrAMMe PurcHASeS
in 2011, the U.n. World food Programme (WfP) purchased 2.4 million metric
tons (mt) of food worldwide amounting to $1.23 billion. top food products
procured in 2011 include wheat (31%; 751.2 mt), maize (17%; 410.2 mt),
and blended foods or cereals (14%; 350.0 mt). the WfP purchased 713,654
mt ($305.2 million) in Africa. total metric tonnage and value have been shown
in figure 18. 23 Researchers note that food purchases in Africa have proven
to be cost-efficient as well as effective for supporting small-scale farmers. 24 the
WfP standards and protocols in testing aflatoxin levels have been instrumental
in raising awareness with farmers, traders, and governments regarding the
prevalence of aflatoxin contamination and the need for policies and programs
to address it.
Figure18. Quantity and Value of Food Purchased from Select African Countries in 2011
74
quantity Metric tonnage
(mt)
value (uS$ thousands)
South Africa 109,683 53,361
tanzania 64,992 20,031
kenya 57,961 22,867
Ghana 6,710 3,673
niger 3,526 1,684
WfP purchases are an integral component of agricultural trade in developing
regions of the eAc, particularly as agricultural standards on aflatoxin-prone
food remain stringent in key global trade partners such as the United States and
the eU. compliance costs associated with the rejection of food products due to
a failure to meet regulations can be significant. As the economy continues to
waver, the question remains as to whether WfP will continue to meet increasing
demands as the trending value of goods purchased has surpassed the trending
quantity of goods purchased.