International Journal of Agricultural Science Research Vol. 2(11), pp. 307-311, November 2013 ISSN 2327-3321 ©2013 Academe Research Journals

Review

A review of the effects of climate change on occurrence of aflatoxin and its impacts on food security in semi-arid areas of Kenya

Victor Ongoma

South Eastern Kenya University, Kenya. E-mail: victor.ongoma@gmail.com.

Accepted 6 November, 2013

Abstract

There are adverse impacts by the changing climate on the agricultural sector; Kenya’s back borne may exacerbate the challenges of ensuring food safety and security, and reducing poverty in Africa as a whole. Understanding how climate change scenarios will affect agriculture is essential in ensuring future food security. In this paper whose objective was to review the potential impact of climate change on important mycotoxins that contaminate maize in Kenya, it focused on climatic factors: temperature and relative humidity, which affect fungal infection of crops and mycotoxin production by these fungi. Aflatoxins are potent mycotoxins that cause immune weakening, cancer and even death. Aflatoxin contamination causes significant loss for farmers, businessmen, marketers and consumers of varied susceptible crops. Climate change alters the complex communities of aflatoxin-producing fungi. This includes changes in space, time and in the quantity of aflatoxin-producers. Generally, if the temperature increases in cool or temperate climates, the respective countries may become more susceptible to aflatoxins. However, tropical countries may become too inhospitable for conventional fungal growth and mycotoxin production. Although some regions can afford to control the environment of storage facilities to minimize post-harvest problems, this happens at high additional cost.

Key words: Climate change, maize, aflatoxins.