September 28, 2020

Towards aflatoxin-free peanut production in Burkina Faso

Soy and Oil Seeds

Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, groundnuts still remain an important sector in the oilseeds sector as seen from the impressive gradual growth in production which increased from 244,922 in 2007 to 515,672 tons in 2016 and around 530,190 tons in 2019. Once the leading cash crop in Burkina Faso, groundnuts have gradually lost their place to other cottonseed and palm seed due to low competitiveness compared to the other edible crops as well as the fall in world prices, and especially contamination by aflatoxin.

Since 2012, Innofaso, a Burkinabé company based in Ouagadougou has been importing more than 400 tons of roasted peanuts per year from Argentina for the purposes of producing therapeutic food and preventing child malnutrition. Innofaso’s business idea is to fully replace its imports from Argentina by sourcing from small local farmers. However, it is faced with constraints related to the operationalization of this business idea because of the significant presence of aflatoxin in locally produced groundnuts, which creates a limitation in the sale of the finished products of the company.

In order to alleviate this challenge, Innofaso and 2SCALE are collaborating through an inclusive partnership, whose major objective is to facilitate the company's supply of up to 2,800 tons of groundnuts seeds by 2023 from local smallholder farmers. To achieve this, the partnership expects the inclusion of 10,000 smallholder farmers, mainly made up of women and youth. These smallholder farmers will be trained on the technical routes of peanut production, the access and application of Aflasafe-a 100% natural solution to fight against aflatoxins while increasing the yield and quality as well as the facilitation of their access to quality seeds.

Introduction of Aflasafe BF01 in the partnership Innofaso

Aflasafe is produced by IITA according to the specifications of each country. This is why the formula used in Burkina Faso is called Aflasafe BF01. Early this year, INNOFASO and the inclusive green innovation team of 2SCALE signed a collaboration agreement with SAPHYTO SA which is the exclusive distributor of Aflasafe BF01 in Burkina Faso in order to jointly conduct demonstration tests on 10 plots in 4 agribusiness clusters involved in peanut production. A Burkinabé startup called "Kônô digital" that has developed a drone adapted to the homogeneous application of aflasafe is also involved in this collaboration. Moussa Dionou, 2SCALE's Climate Smart Agriculture specialist comments:

The promoted innovation aims to facilitate better profits for farmers through the production and sale of quality groundnuts. It will also facilitate cultivation activities through innovative tools such as the Aflasafe drone through collaboration with companies SAPHYTO and Kônô Digital

First guided tour

A few weeks after the start of the crop year in Zoro, in the Léo region, the 0.28 ha groundnut production site of Aïcha Nignan that was used as a demonstration plot received a field guided tour on the application of Aflasafe technology. This field visit aimed to build the capacities of farmers on the technical application of Aflasafe BF01 in groundnut plots.

Groundnut Production in Burkina Faso is considered a predominantly female occupation due to its low requirement of inputs especially the proximity of peanut fields to houses.

Until then, the major challenges faced by farmers including Aïcha NIGNAN and the other women of her cooperative are mainly aflatoxin contamination and low yield. Thus The introduction of innovations such as Aflasafe BF01 by Innofaso and 2SCALE presents as a solution in the management of aflatoxin which already raises hopes for Aïcha.

After attending this demonstration, I am convinced that I will be able to produce the quality peanuts that Innofaso needs and the work will be much less arduous thanks to this drone

During the first field guided tour, over 50 women farmers were trained on the techniques of practical use of Aflasafe, the right period and application rates in relation to the areas as well as the impacts of aflasafe in the treatment of aflatoxin.

Through these kinds of learning activities , 2SCALE and its partners pay particular attention to women's access to eco-efficient and sustainable innovations in order to increase their productivity and income.

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