Latest GM & Biosafety Resources

South Africa is in the grip of the worst drought since 1992, with many parts of the country experiencing record temperatures and little to no rain. The maize and transport industries are currently planning for a worst-case scenario, where the continent’s largest maize producer – South Africa – may potentially need to import 4 million […]

The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has on 7th August 2015, lodged an appeal to Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Senzeni Zokwana, against the general release approval of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) maize, MON87460 granted by the Executive Council (EC): GMO Act. Such approval means that Monsanto can sell the GM maize seed, MON87460, […]

This submission by Monsanto makes a joke of biosafety risk assessment in that it is not based on the actual event under consideration, but rather, the applicant posits claim of lack of harm, toxicity, and allergenicity based on data carried out on other lines containing the same transgene/event. This violates the case by case approach […]

The ACB has submitted an objection to an application by Dow Agro-sciences to conduct a field trial of the stacked GM maize event MON 89034 x TC 1507 x MON NK603. Most of the information required for an independent assessment has been omitted on the grounds that it is ‘confidential business information’. What information has […]

Field trials with MON 87460 are currently underway in South Africa at Hopetown, Orania, Pretoria, Lutzville and Delareyville. These field trials form part of a larger initiative under the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project, a public-private partnership between African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), Monsanto, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and […]

This is ACB’s objection to the application by Dow Chemicals for approval for import into SA of its GM soyabean 2,4 D and glufosinate ammonium (DAS-68416-4). Read here.

This is the non CBI version of the application submitted by Dow Chemicals to the SA GMO authorities for approval of its GM soybeans, 2,4 for importation into SA. Read here.

In 2007 Monsanto was granted a trial release permit to conduct field trials for its ‘drought tolerant’ maize event MON8746. These comments are in respect of a further extension application, submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in May 2011. Read here.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, who are currently attempting to acquire South Africa’s largest remaining seed company, Pannar Seed, have submitted applications for field trials of four GM maize varieties. These are all stacked varieties inferring varying combinations of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. Of particular concern is that all four varieties have been engineered to be used […]

This document contains the African Centre for Biosafety’s (ACB)’s objections and comments to the Biodiversity Management Plan for Pelargonium sidoides, published by the government on 29 July 2011. The ACB raises a number of fundamental problems with the proposed plan, including that the process followed in developing the plan is legally and fundamentally flawed. We […]

The South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) has applied to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for permission to conduct field trials for 4 varieties of GM sugarcane. Having viewed SASRI’s applications in terms of the Public Access to Information Act (PAIA), it is our opinion that the information provided is so inadequate that […]

By the end of the year, the South African National Biosviersity Institute (SANBI), will conclude a three-year, R14 million rand research project on the impact of Monsanto’s GM maize variety MON810 on the South African environment. The research project is the first of its kind in South Africa, and will focus on the impacts on […]