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Improved Drying and Storage Practices that Reduce Aflatoxins in Stored Maize: Experimental Evidence from Smallholders in Senegal

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  • Jonathan Bauchet
  • Stacy Prieto
  • Jacob Ricker‐Gilbert

Abstract

Proper post‐harvest treatment of crops is key to limiting contamination by aflatoxins, potent carcinogens, but little is known about constraints to adoption of best post‐harvest practices among smallholder farmers in developing countries. We use a randomized controlled trial with 2,000 maize producers in Senegal to test whether low awareness and/or lack of drying and storage technologies are barriers to storing safe maize. A novel feature of our intervention is that we offered both drying and storage technologies to farmers and evaluated their combined impact. We found that only hermetic (airtight) storage bags caused a statistically significant reduction in total aflatoxin levels after 3–4 months of storage, reducing the likelihood that maize had total aflatoxin levels above safe‐to‐eat thresholds by 30%. Our results provide practical guidance to lower aflatoxins in staple crops and suggest that strategies to reduce aflatoxins should address issues from harvest to storage in a comprehensive manner.

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  • Jonathan Bauchet & Stacy Prieto & Jacob Ricker‐Gilbert, 2021. "Improved Drying and Storage Practices that Reduce Aflatoxins in Stored Maize: Experimental Evidence from Smallholders in Senegal," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 296-316, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:ajagec:v:103:y:2021:i:1:p:296-316
    DOI: 10.1111/ajae.12106
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    1. Bjorn Van Campenhout & Anusha De, 2023. "Gendered perceptions in maize supply chains: Evidence from Uganda," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(2), March.
    2. Channa, Hira & Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob & Feleke, Shiferaw & Abdoulaye, Tahirou, 2022. "Overcoming smallholder farmers’ post-harvest constraints through harvest loans and storage technology: Insights from a randomized controlled trial in Tanzania," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    3. Magnan, Nicholas & Hoffmann, Vivian & Opoku, Nelson & Gajate Garrido, Gissele & Kanyam, Daniel Akwasi, 2021. "Information, technology, and market rewards: Incentivizing aflatoxin control in Ghana," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    4. Mulungu, Kelvin & Kilimani, Nicholas, 2023. "Does forest access reduce reliance on costly shock-coping strategies? Evidence from Malawi," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    5. Schwab, Benjamin & Yu, Jisang, 2022. "Guaranteed Storage? Risk and Credit Constraints in the Demand for Postharvest Technology and Rice Seed Storage Decisions in Bangladesh," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322475, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Vivian Hoffmann & Sarah Kariuki & Janneke Pieters & Mark Treurniet, 2023. "Upside risk, consumption value, and market returns to food safety," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(3), pages 914-939, May.
    7. Shukla, Pallavi & Pullabhotla, Hemant K. & Baylis, Kathy, 2023. "The economics of reducing food losses: Experimental evidence from improved storage technology in India," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).

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