#AskAg Twitter Chat: Aflatoxins 101
Event Information
Aflatoxins are dangerous toxins produced by molds that grow on a wide variety of crops, including staples like maize and groundnuts. Consuming aflatoxin-contaminated food can result in impaired nutrient absorption, organ failure, cancer, and—in children—stunting. There is a growing evidence base that aflatoxins are undercutting the anticipated outcomes in rural development.
Join us on May 19 for an #AskAg Twitter Chat that will explore aflatoxins as they relate to nutrition, broader development outcomes, and the varied approaches that seek to reduce exposure. Experts from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control and Mercy Corps Guatemala will address questions related to nutrition, health impacts and prevention.
Potential Guiding Questions:
- How do aflatoxins affect development outcomes?
- What are some examples of low-cost interventions to reduce and monitor aflatoxins?
- How do we encourage adoption of aflatoxin interventions along the value chain?
- What information do you need to better understand and plan for aflatoxin interventions?
Twitter Accounts to Follow:
- David Hoisington & Jamie Rhoads: @FTFPMIL
- Clara Ramírez Aguilar: @_claralorena_
- Marcel Janssen: @Em_J6
- Olga Lorenzana Alvarez: @olga_lorenzana
How to Participate:
- If you are new to Twitter, visit Twitter.com to sign up for an account. (For more tips on getting started, check out our Twitter training.)
- Explore the guiding questions that will be discussed during the chat.
- Join us for discussion by using the hashtag #AskAg and following @Agrilinks.
- You can also follow on Twubs or through the livestream below.
LivestreamTweets about "#AskAg"
Speakers
David Hoisington
University of Georgia
Dave Hoisington is a senior research scientist at the University of Georgia, Athens and the program director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control (PMIL). PMIL research focuses on controlling and mitigating mycotoxin contamination in order to improve safety, nutrition, quality and marketability of peanuts and other crops. Bringing more than 25 years of international agriculture experience to the position, Hoisington's past work includes establishing and building biotechnology programs for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico and coordinating research as the deputy director general for research at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India. He currently serves as the chair of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab Council.
Jamie Rhoads
University of Georgia
James (Jamie) Rhoads is the Assistant Director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control. Jamie has worked extensively in Haiti over the years, applying research to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and coordinating agricultural programs. His knowledge of agricultural development, particularly in peanut production, has led to prolific work as a consultant for the private sector. He has co-authored and published a peanut production guide as well as a series of training modules for a national scale agribusiness.
Clara Ramírez
Mercy Corps Guatemala
Clara Lorena Ramírez Aguilar is a program coordination specialist at Mercy Corps Guatemala, where she supports the implementation of the Mother-Child Community Food Diversification Program (PROCOMIDA in Spanish), which supports mother and child nutrition in the communities of Alta Verapaz. Clara and her team at Mercy Corps Guatemala, are beginning efforts to identify, develop and promote low-cost practices that significantly reduce the contamination risk from mycotoxins through an improvement in harvesting, storage and consumption practices.
Marcel Janssen
Mercy Corps Guatemala
Marcel is the Manager of the Technical Support Unit of Mercy Corps Guatemala's PROCOMIDA program. He is in charge of all technical aspects of the program, including health, nutrition, behavior change communication, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and information systems. He has 24 years of development experience in Central America in a wide range of technical areas, including sustainable agriculture, fair trade, M&E, watershed management, education and food security.
Olga Lorenzana
Mercy Corps Guatemala
Olga María Lorenzana Alvarez is a Social Anthropologist for Mercy Corps Guatemala's PROCOMIDA program. She performs behavioral studies and assesses participant mothers' perceptions. She previously worked as a researcher at the State University of Guatemala.
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