Latest GM & Biosafety Resources

We, the undersigned, members of civil society organisations from across the African continent, hereby call for an immediate and complete ban on the growing, importing and exporting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on the African continent. We call upon the governments of Africa to take the necessary steps to protect the health of their populations […]

The research shows that although glyphosate (a weed killer) is ubiquitous throughout South African agriculture, it poses many environmental risks and yet there is precious little research done to monitor and manage its environmental impacts. Read more here.

On the 5th of September 2012 James Wilmot, Democratic Alliance MP and Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, issued a press release claiming that poor consumers cannot benefit from the “cost savings offered by GMOs” because genetically modified (GM) foods cannot be labelled. He claimed that labelling could not be implemented without a testing facility […]

ACB has chosen to use the AVAAZ platform to run our petitions. Please click here and sign the petition and spread the word.

During early in 2011, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) published a report titled, Monitoring the Environmental Impacts of GM Maize in South Africa. The report was a culmination of a study by the Environmental Biosafety Cooperation Project (EBCP) aimed at developing a framework for monitoring of insect resistant maize, Mon810, belonging to Monsanto. […]

In this paper, we critically analyse the African Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) project, a GM ‘poster project’ in Africa. We dig beneath the veneer of the project being an “African led solution” to poverty and malnutrition on the continent. We also focus attention on the myriad of sorghum research initiatives currently underway in Africa, using both […]

South Africa has promulgated national legislation, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), which creates an opportunity for the mandatory labelling of certain foodstuffs containing or which are genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). The Act sets out a number of consumer rights that have relevance to the sale of products with genetically modified components. These include the right to […]

*S3M-6119 Bill Wilson: Biodiversity Coalition Opposes GM Contamination. That the Parliament notes reports that 40,000 tons of genetically modified (GM) maize from South Africa have been refused entry to Kenya as a result of protests led by the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition. Further notes, with reference to motion S3M-05873 by Bill Wilson ‘Who Benefits from GM […]

On the13th of December 2009, Syngenta published a public notice of their intent to apply to the GMO Registrar for a permit for the general release of genetically modified maize, GA21. Having obtained a ‘non-confidential-business-information’ version of Syngenta’s application, it is our contention that the application cannot be adequately assessed. The information provided is sketchy […]

Monsanto is a globally dominant company in the agrochemical, seed and agricultural biotechnology sector. It has been active in the agrochemicals market in South Africa since 1968, and now owns almost all traits used in the South African GM crop market. Thanks to the purchase of local seed companies, Sensako and Carnia, in the late […]

Across the world, the use of bilateral trade instruments to prise open markets for genetically modified (GM) crops is escalating. To expand business overseas, the biotech industry needs stronger intellectual property rules and weaker biosafety standards. Bilateral trade deals are an effective way to do this. This report looks specifically at how the world’s grain […]

South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has developed a GE-insect resistant potato (SpuntaG2, which is a Bt potato) with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This potato now awaits safety assessment and general release approval from the national authorities. Read here.