Latest GMOs/Biosafety in South Africa Resources

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 […]

Syngenta has responded to the ACB’s objection to the general release of GA21 x Bt11. Read here.

Monsanto has responded to the ACB’s objections for to field trials of its drought-tolerant maize. Read here.

Monsanto has responded to the ACB’s objections for the trial release of Round-up Ready Canola. You can read it here.

The ACB has come to the following conclusions about Syngenta’s application: In terms of the molecular characterisation of the event: Furthermore, it is our contention that:

In 2007 Monsanto South Africa applied for and was granted a trial release permit to conduct field trials with maize event MON87460, which has been genetically engineered for drought tolerance. Earlier this year the African Centre for Biosafety objected to a Monsanto application to import 35 hybrids for the continuation of these trials. Monsanto submitted […]

As usual, we have only been furnished with information that the developers deem to be ‘non-confidential’, so crucial data required to make a thorough independent assessment is missing. Excluded information included details of test data specific to South African growing conditions. The cauliflower mosaic virus 35s promoter (35S-CaMV) is present in GA21 x Bt11. There […]