The biocontrol approach, using harmless fungal strains to keep aflatoxin-producers at bay, was initially developed by the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA–ARS) and deployed in the USA. It has been adapted and refined for Africa in over a decade of research and development, through a partnership led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), working with USDA–ARS and many national partners in countries across the continent. Aflasafe is not a one-size-fits-all solution; each country has its own tailored product made using local fungi and carefully tested on the ground. This work was carried out through a large number of projects under the Aflasafe umbrella, funded entirely by donors – for more information see our R&D page.
We are now focusing on registration and commercialisation in each country, transferring Aflasafe to local manufacturers and distributors, with support from IITA’s Business Incubation Platform (BIP). This is being carried out under the Aflasafe Technology Transfer and Commercialisation (ATTC) Project – see our Commercialisation page for more.
