OIRED

Peanut CRSP

Peanut Collaborative Research Support program (PEANUT CRSP)

Improving the health and livelihood of people of East Africa by addressing aflatoxin and gender-related constraints in peanut production, processing and marketing 

 

 

 

 

 

Program Leader Maria Elisa Christie meets with women in Uganda in a focus group discussion of peanut food preparation techniques.

Year: Phase III, 2007-2012
Grant #: USAID/University of Georgia EGG-A-00-07-00004-00
Location: Uganda and Kenya (phase III)

Project Overview: The Peanut CRSP project at Virginia Tech, managed by the University of Georgia, works to improve the health and livelihood of people in East Africa by addressing aflatoxin and gender-related constraints in peanut production, processing and marketing. Aflatoxin contamination is a major health problem in Africa.The project is examining gender roles and strategies for preventing aflatoxin contamination in peanuts. It includes OIRED-led socioeconomic research including policy and gender issues. The Department of Biological Systems Engineering at VT is working to develop innovative methods and equipment to test for aflatoxin. Activities aim to build capacity in the region to address, prevent and mitigate aflatoxin contamination in peanuts through training of students, scientists, farmers and processors, household managers, farmers and women's organizations. Gender research builds on women's existing responsibilities and concern for family health and nutrition to involve them in participative research identifying opportunities for addressing aflatoxin contamination in home storage and food preparation. In Kenya, there are three overall goals: first, to develop baseline data that can be used in future to gage extents of contamination and human exposure; second, to develop applicable sampling strategies suitable to particular regions that can be used for similar studies, and third to develop appropriate mitigating strategies, based on an understanding of the factors related to the aflatoxin problem in the region. In Uganda, partners are Makerere University’s Departments of Food Science and Technology, as well as Women’s and Gender Studies; and NAWOU (National Association of Women of Uganda). In Kenya, the partners are Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

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Dr. Archileo Kaaya of Makerere University buys peanuts at the market in Gulu, northern Uganda as Dr. Tim Williams, director of the Peanut CRSP, and Pauline Lukwayi, northern representative of the National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda, look on.
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Tim Williams tours the Food Science and Technology labs at Makerere University accompanied by Dr. Archileo Kaaya and Dr. Benjamin Sentongo. 
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Little boys play in a peanut field in the Gulu district of northern Uganda while their mothers work the land.
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Peanut farmers watch while their fields are inspected.

 

A captivated audience attends Dr. Kaaya’s presentation entitled “Women: the Backbone of Peanut Production and Processing in Uganda.” He spoke at Virginia Tech’s Women in Development discussion series on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

 

 

Drs. Christie and Mallikarjunan of Virginia Tech with visitor Benjamin Sentongo, chief laboratory technician for Food Science and Technology in Makerere University in Uganda.