Latest GM & Biosafety Resources

The ACB has lodged an objection to an application for field trials in South Africa of genetically modified (GM) canola; namely, event DP73496, which confers tolerance to glyphosate-based herbicides. Since there are 154 known species of Brassicaceae in South Africa that can potentially cross-fertilise with canola, genetic contamination is a significant risk. This is aided […]

17 June 2025 UPDATE: Thank you to all who signed our petition, supporting our call to hold the South African government and chemical industry accountable for the devastating effects of toxic pesticides on our society. Following the South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins (SAPToA), which was held in March this year, the three jurors, Judge […]

—— Press release ———- 30 September 2024 Genetically modified (GM) wheat, purported to be drought tolerant, is set to be grown in field trials in South Africa during 2025 and 2026, at three locations in the Western Cape (near Moorreesburg, Protem, and Swellendam) and one in the Northern Cape (near Hopetown), following an application for […]

This legacy series provides an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the past two decades of ACB’s advocacy and activism, with a particular focus on resisting the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into our agricultural and food systems in Africa.  Our first podcast in the series is hosted by ACB Research and Advocacy Officer […]

 We call on the government to reverse approval of GM wheat into our country Thank you to the 80+ organisations, listed below, who support this ACB submission to the South African Biosafety authorities, the Executive Council (EC): GMO Act, to review and reassess its decision to grant approval for the importation into South Africa of […]

Despite the grave warnings of the COVID 19 pandemic and the increased need to de-colonise and de-corporatise our food systems and shift towards sovereignty, there continues to be an increase in the applications for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) of the 2,4-D variety, for introduction into the South African farming and food system. This trend is […]

ACB’s objection to commodity clearance of Corteva’s MON 89034 x TC1507 x MIR162 x NK603 x DAS-40278-9 maize The COVID-19 pandemic shines a light exposing the fragility of South Africa’s unequal and unjust food system. A food system that continues to choose herbicides over health, and profit over people and our planet. Since the pandemic, […]

Thank you for supporting our continental campaign to ban glyphosate The deadline for signing on to the petition was Friday, 30 August, 2019. In the next phase of the campaign, many organisations around the continent are sending letters to their governments calling for a ban. In this paper we explain why. Globally, glyphosate and glyphosate-based […]

ACB’s Objection to Monsanto’s Application for Commodity Import of GM maize for a number of events: herbicide tolerance, including for dicamba, as well as pest resistance – MON 87427 x MON 89034 x MIR 162 x MON87419; MON 87427 x MON 89034 x MON810 x MIR 162 x MON 87411 x MON 87419; and MON […]

Objection against general release of three 2,4-D GM maize varieties: 1. Corteva’s 2,4-D herbicide tolerant maize: DAS-40278-9 2. Corteva’s Stacked 2,4-D and glyphosate herbicide tolerant maize: NK603 x DAS-40278-9 3. Corteva’s Stacked 2,4-D, glyphosate and glufosinate herbicide tolerant, and Bt insecticidal maize: MON89034 x TC1507 x NK603 x DAS-40278-9 The objection is in relation to […]

The ACB has played an essential watch-dog role on new GMO permits in South Africa for a decade now, adding substantially to the discourse about the scientific assessment of GMOs as well as about issues of socioeconomic impacts and democratic decisionmaking, through lodging substantive comments on at least 30 permit applications. We are objecting to […]

ACB is objecting to the commodity clearance of the triple-stacked GM soybean event MON 87708 x MON 89788 x A5547-127, due to concerns surrounding the lack of safety assessment data for this crop and the known toxicity of the three pesticides it is designed to tolerate. Its tolerance to three pesticides, glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba […]