ACB warns that the South African government has received an application for the commodity clearance (import for food, feed and processing) of ‘triple-stacked variety of genetically modified (GM) soya – MON 87708 X MON 89788 X A5547-127 by Monsanto South Africa (Pty) Ltd in October 2017.

This GM Soybean variety represent has been genetically engineered to withstand applications of a cocktail of 3 toxic herbicides: glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba. South Africa will be among the first countries to approve this GM variety after Mexico and South Korea. Although the ACB has objected to the application, the permissive South African regulatory system is bound to approve it.

In this event, South Africans will be exposed to even more toxic cocktail of chemicals –adding to that already present in the country’s feed and food systems and raising safety concerns and risks that are yet to be established Such a situation is unacceptable, untenable and should no longer continue. Urgent transformation of South Africa’s food systems is required to those that are socially just and ecologically sustainable.

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