The groundnut, or peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), is an important
food and fodder crop in the farming systems of developing
countries. The seed is high in oil (close to 50 percent for many
varieties) and protein (~26 percent) and an important source of
vitamins and dietary fiber. Groundnuts, like all legumes, are also
important due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, a critical
and often limiting nutrient for crops in degraded soils. Global
groundnut production is concentrated in Africa (40 percent) and Asia
(55 percent). As discussed in other briefs in this series, high aflatoxin
levels pose human health risks and are also a barrier to expanding
trade in and commercial use of groundnuts and other crops.