My name is Jarai Njie and I am the narrator of this episode of FoodSolve. I am a second year undergraduate at the University of Florida currently studying Public Health with Pre Med. I pursue a great passion for the continent of Africa, especially in matters concerning their public health and economic welfare. The motive to my interests mainly evolves from the fact that I am originally from The Gambia, West Africa. My African heritage molds many of my topics of discussion, it also brought about my podcast topic- Excessive Exportation of Peanuts in The Gambia.

 

One of Africa’s most popular resources is their vegetation. Most African countries export one of the healthiest fruits and vegetables to all other parts of the world. However, what many do not know is that these same countries experience a scarcity of healthy fruits and vegetables. This happens as a result of over exportation.

 

In this podcast, I look at The Gambia, my home country. A very small West African country whose only natural resource is peanuts. I analyze the over-exportation of peanuts in The Gambia and how this is an advantage to the country but also a curse. The Gambia exports a lot of peanuts throughout the world which brings them a lot of revenue, this is advantageous in the sense that peanuts are the only true natural resource in The Gambia, therefore, this helps them generate a trade market with other countries. However, due to the excessive exportation of peanuts, Gambians are usually left to consume bad peanuts and many civilians have been falling ill due to the over consumption of these peanuts. These bad peanuts refer to peanuts which are infected with Aspergillus fungus. A fungus that contains aflatoxin, a substance that causes liver cancer and damage. Peanuts which fail the aflatoxin test cannot be exported to other countries, but for some reason these peanuts find their way into Gambian markets.

 

The Cause of the matter:

• Corruption – People who own peanut factories in The Gambia are the same people in the government, therefore they manipulate regulations in a way that would benefit their profits.

 

• Poverty – The Gambia is a very small and poor country, therefore the country is exploiting its only natural resource in order to bring in revenue.

 

• Lack of strict health regulations – The Gambian government fails to enforce a strict law which will prohibit the sale of infected peanuts in their own markets.

 

• The national dish “Domoda” – Being that one of The Gambia’s main dishes is made out of peanuts (domoda) Gambians are even more susceptible to consuming infected peanuts and falling sick.

 

The Solution to the matter:

It is simple, The Gambian government should prioritize the health of its civilians more than the need to accumulate revenue. Strict health restriction laws should be placed on the peanut industry, which will enforce the destruction of bad peanuts. People running the peanut industry should have background checks, making sure that they are not affiliated with any illegal actions. Very high fines should be placed on individuals/companies who are caught selling infected peanuts for the gain of profit.

 

 

Links to more information on the matter:

 

http://www.kikideere.com/the-gambia-nuts-about-hiv-2/

 

http://jfoodprotection.org/doi/pdf/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-16-152?code=fopr-site