Good Agricultural Practices-Based Strategies for Mitigation of Aflatoxins in Maize with Focus on Smallholders—A Short Review

Maize is a major global staple food and feed. Maize grains are highly susceptible to Aspergillus infection and aflatoxin contamination both in the field and in storage. Aflatoxins, primarily produced by A. flavus and A. parasiticus, are highly toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressive, posing serious risks to food safety and human and animal health. Moreover, they cause significant economic losses by reducing product quality, restricting trade and export, and increasing control and storage costs. Although historically most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, Aspergillus spp. and associated aflatoxins contamination are becoming increasingly important in temperate and Mediterranean regions under changing climatic conditions. To protect public health from severe food-safety hazards, most countries have set maximum allowable aflatoxin limits in maize and other crops. Continuous monitoring and the implementation of pre- and post-harvest mitigation strategies, including Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), are essential for reducing plant stress, limiting fungal development, and minimizing the risk of toxin accumulation. The use of climate-resilient and insect-tolerant maize hybrids represents an important component of pre-harvest aflatoxin management. Accordingly, sustainable maize production requires integrated, multidisciplinary, and cost-effective approaches to minimize fungal infection and aflatoxin contamination. This review examines traditional GAP alongside innovative mitigation strategies, such as biocontrol, to reduce fungal and aflatoxin contamination in maize, with a particular emphasis on their applicability to smallholder farmers in high-risk and climate-vulnerable regions, such as Serbia. It also highlights the importance of farmer training and incentives for improving maize production, food safety, and compliance with export regulatory standards.