Section V - Resolution

Jacob A. Ayuk-Takem (IRA, Yaoundé, Cameroon), Chair

Recognizing the increasing importance of food grains in sub-Saharan Africa;

Realizing that heavy losses are caused by mycotoxins at all levels of production, storage, processing, and utilization;

and being

Concerned that mycotoxins are having a direct negative impact on human and animal health, and on trade;

and being

Aware that African governments are fully committed to the promotion of food security and safety, and to the improvement of public health and quality of life for their citizenry

Be it Resolved that The Pan African Mycotoxins Initiative Committee:

Does Hereby Reiterate that appropriate measures must be taken to reduce the grain losses caused by mycotoxins to internationally accepted standards, and to increase production of good quality grains;

and

Advocates that resources be mobilized by African governments and the international community for support to mycotoxin research and intervention initiatives;

to

Establish a mechanism for networking and collaborative research on mycotoxins to be known as
Mycotoxin Africa Initiative;

and strongly

Recommends the mobilization of resources to support the networking initiative in collaboration with other existing initiatives;

and further

Recommends the establishment of a steering committee,

and

Requests the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to jointly serve as the interim coordinating secretariat for the steering committee.

In Benin Republic, maize is often stored in husk and is only dehusked and shelled when it is to be eaten. Many people store maize in the husk hoping to deter insect damage in the store. Insect feeding in stored maize significantly increases the risk of high levels of alfatoxin.

Photo: P. J. Cotty

In Uganda, a young girl winnows the maize that her family will eat soon. Many mycotoxins are heat stable, i.e. not affected by cooking. Cleaning and sorting out bad grain is the last process which will reduce the risk of consumptions of mycotoxins.

Photo: K. F. Cardwell

---

© 1996 International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)