Is the Post-Production Phase of the Food Value Chain even More Affected by Climate Change than the Production Phase? An Example of Aflatoxin in Stored Maize in Kenya.

Abstract

The present agricultural systems lay their emphasis on technologies that boost food production. Increasing crop productivity has been recommended as an adaptation strategy to reduce the impacts of climate change on food security. However, post-production crop losses continue unabated. Compounded by the recent climate change patterns the scenario has been exacerbated and is deemed to be one of the main contributors to global food insecurity. Postproduction losses along the food value chain due to climate change could be just as important and severe as the crop production losses. One example of post production losses is the production of aflatoxins by a group of food spoilage fungi with carcinogenic and other deleterious effects on consumers. We examined the situation for Kenya, one of the most vulnerable countries to aflatoxin poisoning and the expected outcomes due to increased temperature. Our results indicate that the post-production losses are substantial and urgent intervention strategies are imperative.