GMO trials in South Africa in 2007: Who is doing what and where?

Questions around GMO field trials in South Africa continue to be asked, “Where exactly are they happening, when will there be adequate environmental risk assessment and post-release monitoring, what are the effects on neighbours of GMO field trials and what are the cumulative effects of all the field trials that have happened in South Africa?”

Within this context, the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has sought to place more information in the public domain and highlight some of the issues around GMO field trials in South Africa. In January 2007, a briefing document ‘Field trials of GMOs: who is doing what and where in South Africa’ was produced.

This was a focus on field trials that occurred in 2006. A GMO Biohazard Map of South Africa was also produced. In November 2007, data for field trials as well as medical clinical trials for the year was obtained from the Department of Agriculture using the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). An overview of these GMO trials is provided in this document with details of the field trials on the updated GMO Biohazard Map.