As part of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)’s monitoring and resistance of GMO activities in SA, we share with you, our latest GMO Alert.

In this alert we highlight the following issues concerning GMOs in South Africa:

• General release of the Monsanto/Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) GM drought tolerant maize on hold as ACB fights commercial approval in High Court.
• ACB and Monsanto in dispute over confidentiality regime in High Court.
• No decision yet on commercial release of Monsanto’s triple-stacked GM maize involving the GM drought tolerant trait.
• South Africans outraged: DuPont Pioneer applies for permit to bulk up GM herbicide tolerant maize seed in SA on very day Monsanto ordered by a US court to pay US$ 289 million in damages to Mr. Lee Johnson, who is suffering from cancer, due to glyphosate exposure.
• Dow Agroscience’s GM maize varieties engineered to withstand glyphosate, glufosinate and controversial war chemical 2,4-D in field trials since 2015. Civil society urged to look out for and strongly oppose applications for general release.
• South Africa continues to export GM maize to African neighbours, Zimbabwe and Swaziland