Haramaya University, in collaboration with BOKU, Austria, and Oda Bultum University, has embarked on an ambitious two-year academic research initiative, MyControl-ET. This project aims to bolster food security and nutritional standards in Ethiopia by adopting a comprehensive approach to mycotoxin control in local communities.

The initiative will tackle critical challenges, including:

  • Establishing a baseline of spatiotemporal mycotoxin contamination and its determinants across Eastern Ethiopia.
  • Enhancing the local expertise and infrastructure necessary for producing safer, evidence-based food products.
  • Broadening access to safe, nutritious foods for households, particularly in rural areas.
  • Gathering empirical data on mycotoxins to inform effective control strategies and highlight the community and stakeholder benefits of safe food practices.

MyControl-ET has outlined 19 activities across four main objectives:

  1. Mapping the baseline contamination in key crops and assessing dietary exposure to mycotoxins.
  2. Boosting local capacity for mycotoxin mitigation through enhanced knowledge, skills, and infrastructure.
  3. Producing data on the impact of interventions on food safety and household income.
  4. Disseminating research findings to promote evidence-based practices.

The project’s impact is expected to directly benefit 160 households in the initial project areas, with an extended influence on approximately 1,600 farmers in adjacent communities. These efforts aim to ensure the availability of safer food supplies and contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including zero hunger, good health, gender equality, decent work, and more.

In recognition of the pivotal role of education in sustainable development, the project will also financially support one MSc student specializing in Plant Pathology from Haramaya University.

Dr. Abdi Mohammed, Associate Professor of Mycotoxicology at Haramaya University, serves as the Co-Principal Investigator for the project. For more details, Dr. Mohammed can be contacted at abdi.mohammed22@yahoo.com.