Latest Resources

16 August 2024
UPF in Africa: fact sheets 6-10
Click here for factsheets 1-5. (Pour lire les fiches en français, cliquez ici.) Fact sheet 10: UPF in Africa synthesis briefing Factsheet 10 is the final in our series that considers the different dimensions of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and highlights the serious environmental, social, economic and health implications of the expansion of UPF consumption in […]

2 August 2024
The decline of FISPs in Malawi – debt, corruption and hunger
What future for smallholder farmers and realising agroecology?

18 July 2024
Is Zambia’s food system collapsing?
Zambia’s collapsed food system: never-ending debt, climate shocks, biodiversity loss and FISPs – the indispensability of transitioning to agroecology In this briefing, we look at how Zambia is facing a gathering food crisis of serious proportions. Amidst repeated droughts and floods, energy rationing, and shortages of drinkable water, food prices are rising and millions are at risk […]

9 July 2024
Agricultural policy reform in South Africa
Addressing animal welfare within a just, agroecological food systems transition This discussion document, written by Linzi Lewis on behalf of Humane World for Animals, South Africa (SA), highlights the need for greater attention to be given to industrial animal agriculture. As one of the major drivers of current socio-ecological crises, it demands further consideration within […]

5 July 2024
Stop chemical war on bodies of farm workers, farm dwellers and their children!
Statement rejecting the Draft Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents published on 5 April 2024, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No 85 of 1993) On 5 May 2024, the Democratic Alliance (DA) staged a protest outside the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) headquarters in Johannesburg. As part of the political […]

23 April 2024
Reviving use of local seeds in African farming
African Centre for Biodiversity’s executive director Mariam Mayet is featured on a SciDev podcast, Africa Science Focus, speaking about the importance of supporting and revitalising of farmer seed systems in Africa. Listen to the podcast here. Header Image Credit: ©2019 CIAT/Georgina Smith on Flickr

25 March 2024
Les aliments ultra-transformés en Afrique
Implications pour une transition agroécologique juste des systèmes alimentaires et agricoles Une série du Centre africain pour la biodiversité Les fiches d’information 6 et 10 sont maintenant disponibles. (Click here to read in English.) Dans cette série d’articles sur les aliments ultra-transformés (UPF) sur le continent africain, nous examinons les effets de l’évolution des comportements […]

8 March 2024
Ultra-processed food in Africa
Implications for just agroecological transitions of food and agriculture systems A series by the African Centre for Biodiversity Click here for factsheets 6-10. (Cliquez ici pour lire en français.) In this series focusing on ultra-processed food (UPF) on the African continent, we explore the impacts of shifting dietary patterns, with increasing reliance on low-cost, ultra-processed […]

5 December 2023
Draft Plant Breeders’ Rights and Plant Improvement Act Regulations
Further comments submitted by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). In November, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) hosted stakeholder consultations in Pretoria and Cape Town on the regulations of the Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) and Plant Improvement (PI) Acts. The ACB was quick to accept the invitation to attend both […]

5 December 2023
UPOV-aligned PVP laws impinge on farmer seed systems
We stand united in our commitment to addressing the pervasive push for the adoption of plant variety protection (PVP) laws in Africa, aligned with the Eurocentric International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) 1991 model. We continue to declare our unwavering dedication to championing a just and sustainable agricultural future for the […]