World Food Day 2024: Get to know Edson Coffi, PhD at Université Abomey-Calavi (Benin)

27 November 2024

Ensuring the right to food for all requires collective action to tackle hunger and poverty. This means prioritising the production and consumption of diverse, safe and nutritious foods, while building resilience against shocks, vulnerabilities, and stresses.

The academic community plays a crucial role in this mission. Research, data, technology, and innovation can be powerful tools for enhancing food safety and food security, as well as for transforming agrifood systems for a better future and a better life for all.

That’s why UPRISE is taking action by training 11 PhD students under joint EU-AU supervision to become future leaders and food safety ambassadors for Africa. These researchers will play a key role in supporting food safety risk assessment and management to reduce mycotoxin levels, by developing guides, toolkits, early warning systems and microbiome- based innovations.

Get to know Edson Coffi, PhD student at Université Abomey-Calavi (Benin).

Edson’s research focuses on the comparative risk assessment of mycotoxins in cereal-based foods and fermented derivatives sold in both formal and informal markets across West, East, and Southern African regions. Cereal-based products, being dietary staples, are highly vulnerable to fungal contamination, leading to the production of toxic mycotoxins. The scope of this work includes identifying critical points of contamination, analysing regional differences, and assessing public health risks linked to consumption from these markets.

The study will compare contamination levels and risk exposure between regulated (formal) and unregulated (informal) markets, reflecting differences in food safety practices, storage conditions, and regulatory frameworks. This comparative approach will uncover gaps in food safety management and highlight the disparities between the two market systems in each region. It will also take into account socio-economic factors that influence market operations and consumer preferences.

The ultimate objective is to propose context-specific mitigation strategies to reduce mycotoxin risks and enhance food safety in cereal supply chains across Africa. The findings will contribute to strengthening food policy frameworks, improve public health outcomes, and promote sustainable practices in both market types.

Video: Edson Coffi

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