Vol. 22 No. 8 December 2011 9 articles This article sets the background for an exciting new linkage between Australian and Africa-based scientists who will use NIR to enhance the safety and value of traditional African crops. It has long been advocated that our technology should be deployed in this fashion because of its inherent advantages and I am encouraged that such a collaboration has commenced. In future articles, Glen and his co-workers will keep us informed of the progress they are making.—Ed F ourier transform-near infrared (FT- NIR) spectroscopy will be a key technology to underpin a new diagnostics platform at the Bio- sciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub, the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya (http://hub.afri- cabiosciences.org). This FT-NIR technol- ogy will assist plant breeding and livestock programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and across sub-Saharan Africa to screen materials for improved crop nutrition and overall food safety. Food and nutritional security and safety remain the top priorities for all African countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa where one in three children suffer malnutrition. Significant population growth, coupled with reduced crop production due to prolonged droughts and increased civil unrest, place major constraints on food production at both the subsistence farming and the limited broad acre production levels. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organ- isation (FAO) estimates that 25% of the world’s agricultural crops are contami- nated with mycotoxins. 1 Among the myco- toxins, of major concern in the East African food systems are aflatoxins. 2,3 Due to a lack of management strategies, appro- priate sources of resistance, surveillance and diagnostics, it is estimated that ~4.5 billion people in the developing world are chronically exposed to unchecked, high levels of aflatoxins. 4 Chronic exposure to mycotoxins causes cancer and is asso- ciated with immunosuppression, infant growth retardation and prevention of nutri- ent absorption. Acute exposure can lead to death. In addition to these health con- cerns, aflatoxin and other mycotoxins can be a major barrier to trade, 5 since mouldy and contaminated grains (and other foods) are unacceptable in international markets. In order to improve nutritional status and food safety in Kenya and the developing world as a whole, an increased capacity to detect, characterise and reduce the pres- ence of mycotoxins in the food supply is essential. Quality control during crop production, storage and food processing is a paramount issue for African nations. In recent years, a number of deaths have been linked to high levels of a specific mycotoxin, namely aflatoxin B 1 . 4 In many years when drought limits crop production, harvests are often contaminated with high levels of aflatoxin. In years of bumper harvest, rains preclude adequate drying of maize, leading to similarly high aflatoxins levels: 2010 was one of the best harvests in recent years but the Kenyan government had to condemn 2.3 million bags of maize as contaminated. 6 Urgent action is clearly needed to address these matters. New NIR diagnostics platform for agricultural research in East and Central Africa Glen Fox, a Jagger Harvey, b G.J. Benoit Gnonlonfin b and Larelle McMillan c a The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia b Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub at the International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya c Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, Boggo Road, Brisbane, Qld 4102, Australia doi: 10.1255/nirn.1276 Dr Benoit Gnonlonfin (post doctoral fellow) and Dr Glen Fox at a maize trial at Kiboko, near Nairobi. Project leader Dr Jagger Harvey with BecA hub Director Dr Segenet Kelemu.