On behalf of the entire research and management team, it is my pleasure to present the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Peanut Productivity and Mycotoxin Control Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2014 (FY2014).
Otherwise known as the Peanut & Mycotoxin Innovation Lab or PMIL, we are in our second year of operation since being restructured in 2012. During the first year (FY2013), efforts focused on establishing a new project portfolio and appointing a new Management Team based at the Athens Campus of the University of Georgia.
Thus, FY2014 is the first reporting year in which most of the projects were in operation for a significant portion of the year, and PMIL is already making excellent progress in addressing key constraints facing smallholder peanut farmers in developing countries.
- Our efforts building on the successes in genomics, genetic engineering and breeding are providing better varieties to be tested in farmers’ fields and ultimately disseminated in the country and region.
- Mycotoxin contamination remains a challenging issue and PMIL is researching new detection and sampling methods that hold promise as prototypes in the coming year.
- Peanuts are well known for their nutritional value in addressing severe malnutrition. As such, PMIL is looking at cases of mild malnutrition in pregnant women to determine the role that peanut-based products could have in addressing low-weight births.
- Our projects addressing interventions along the peanut value chain are well underway and in some cases, e.g. Haiti, are having impacts through improved access to inputs and markets by peanut farmers.
- We also continue to build human capacity, and saw our first PhD student graduate from UGA Food Science and return to Ghana to establish a research program on peanut food science.
- Finally, our new communications efforts, publications, social media and website have all helped to raise awareness of our work.
Looking ahead, FY 2015 looks to be an exciting and busy year. Our Annual Research Meeting will be held mid-June in Cap Haitien, Haiti, and many of our Lead Scientists will be visiting with in-country project partners throughout the year. We will continue to build local capacity with the addition of nine students and the implementation of our new Legume Scholars Program.
This is just a glimpse of our accomplishments and activities. For more detailed information, you can view and download our annual report on the PMIL website and for the latest news and upcoming events make sure to follow us on social media.
As always, we welcome feedback from our stakeholders.
Dave Hoisington, Director, PMIL
