Abdul-Majeed Ibrahim

This study investigates women farmers’ local knowledge and practices of handling post-harvest peanuts to minimize aflatoxin contamination. Peanuts are mostly cultivated and processed by women in northern Ghana due to the usefulness of the crop in the household. Post-harvest handling of peanuts are a challenge in this region because women, mostly rely on their local knowledge and practices. With this in mind, this study sort to identify the different ways women handle post-harvest peanuts to reduce contamination; and propose innovations women can adopt to help them manage post-harvest losses due to contamination. Focus group discussions were organized in twenty-four community to allow women farmers engage in a conversation that sort to accomplish two things: establishing and evaluating women’s knowledge on aflatoxin contamination and to determine their local knowledge and practices of handling post-harvest peanuts. The initial drying, sorting and storage of peanuts affects the extent of fungal growth that produces aflatoxins. These are crucial yet basic practices that determines the quality of peanuts and whether it would be earmarked for sale, used as seeds for replanting or for household consumption. The women have been dealing with aflatoxin contamination without knowing the extent of its health complication.