Table 3.
Technical feasibility characteristics of postharvest intervention package for aflatoxin control in Africa.
| Category | Criteria | Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention Characteristics | ||
| Basic product design | Stability | Drying/storage materials could last for 3-4 years if kept properly |
| Safety profile | Extremely safe. Only potential health risk concerns insecticide use: not expected to be a problem if already locally available and a familiar product to farmers. | |
| Ease of storage and transport | Most raw materials are locally available; fiber mats and bags and pallets may need to be stored away from moisture and pests to extend lifetime | |
| Supplies | Need for regular supplies | Drying/storage materials could last for 3-4 years if kept properly |
| Equipment | High-technology equipment needed | None; entire intervention relies on community-based technology and materials |
| Maintenance needed | Fiber bag, mat and wooden pallet can become contaminated with fungi; sun drying and proper storage after use may reduce risk | |
| Delivery characteristics | ||
| Facilities | Retail sector and outreach services | If drying and storage materials are not made by each household, large scale production of these materials could be an option (e.g., for pallets). Local retail stores could provide the finished mats, bags, and pallets. |
| Human resources | Skill level required for service provision | Community volunteers/ agricultural extension staff or local agricultural authorities, to educate growers on the risks of aflatoxin and the methods of using the complete intervention to reduce aflatoxin |
| Government capacity requirements | ||
| Regulation / legislation | Need for regulation | No special regulation required |
| Collaborative action | Collaborative efforts within government sectors and between government and other groups | Collaboration between health and agricultural sectors, as well as between national and local level governments, is important. Outreach staff are an important part in this community based intervention. |
| Funding from external agencies may be desirable to offset the initial costs of the packages. | ||
| Usage characteristics | ||
| Ease of usage | Need for information/education | While the need for information and education is high (e.g., hand-sorting, drying, specific storage requirements), usage itself should be simple because of the cultural familiarity of the overall practices |
| Pre-existing demand | Need for promotion | Though the practices of drying and storage are familiar, the specifics (e.g., wooden pallets, fiber mats and bags) may not be, and growers may not understand the need for them. Hence, the need for promotion is crucial. |
| Black-market risk | Counterfeit prevention | Low risk of counterfeiting |