Latest Resources
24 March 2011
GM crops in South Africa – who benefits?
Anybody who has heard of genetically modified (GM) crops has also heard that we in Africa must accept them or face starvation. The primary message is that GM crops have been developed for the poor and hungry. This is a highly emotional argument put forward by the companies that develop GM technology. However, when we […]
24 March 2011
GMO food labelling – consumers’ right to know
It is a consumer’s right to know what is in their food and to make informed choices about what they eat. Yet, South Africans have been eating genetically modified (GM) food for more than a decade without their knowledge or consent. The producers of GM foods say that these foods are perfectly safe, but many […]
24 March 2011
GM cotton in SA
The biotechnology industry has really tried to win small-scale farmers over to genetically modified (GM) cotton, especially in Africa and Asia. Getting cotton approved in a country is a good way for the industry to pave the way for the entry of GM food crops. It is estimated that farmers around the globe planted about […]
24 March 2011
GM maize in SA
Genetically modified (GM) maize is big business globally. In 2011, farmers grew about 51 million hectares of GM maize. Most of this production happened in the United States where the majority of GM crops are being grown. There are just four major GM crops grown in the world today and maize and soya make up […]
24 March 2011
GM soya in SA
It might surprise you to learn that there are very few kinds of GM crops growing in the world today – the four major crops are soya, maize, cotton and canola. The most commonly grown GM crop is soya – it makes up almost half of all GM crops grown around the world. This soya […]
24 March 2011
International regulation of GMOs
Genetic engineering (GE), also called genetic modification (GM), is not just a modern version of the natural breeding that we know and have practised for many thousands of years. It is a new and totally artificial way of creating living organisms that can never occur in nature. These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have a life […]
24 March 2011
Flawed Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act
It was only in 1999, after much pressure from civil society groups, that the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act of 1997 came into force. At that early stage, few people had expertise on GMOs and civil society was only starting to learn about the issues. Therefore, government relied on experts from the biotechnology industry to […]
24 March 2011
Monsanto – from chemical producer to food producer
Monsanto is one of the most powerful players in the global seed business today. Not only does it own a huge portion of the world’s commercial seed, but it also wields a lot of power over global agricultural policy and practice. How did a company that started out by making chemicals for warfare, gain control […]
24 March 2011
What is a GM crop?
Genetically modified (GM) seeds have been created in a laboratory. The process of creating them is completely new and does not happen in nature. Since farming began people have worked with nature to breed plants and animals to suit human needs. Usually this breeding can only happen within the same ‘species’ or family. For example, […]
24 March 2011
Debunking GM myths
The biotechnology industry has spread many myths about what GMOs can do. These are not based on fact and have been shown to be false in reality. Myths we often hear include: GMOs decrease pesticide use; they have massively increased yield potential; and have been thoroughly tested for safety. GM crops are not the norm. […]