Latest Resources
30 September 2024
Perilous GM wheat to be grown in SA: transgenic crop plants increasingly given a biosafety-free pass
—— Press release ———- 30 September 2024 Genetically modified (GM) wheat, purported to be drought tolerant, is set to be grown in field trials in South Africa during 2025 and 2026, at three locations in the Western Cape (near Moorreesburg, Protem, and Swellendam) and one in the Northern Cape (near Hopetown), following an application for […]
25 September 2024
New Genetic Engineering Technologies in Food and Agriculture in Africa
Over the past few years, the ACB has produced and shared several briefing papers concerning new genetic engineering technologies for food and agriculture. Building on this work, and in light of the major deregulation push globally concerning genome editing, including in several countries in Africa, we have produced two updated factsheets on this dangerous distraction […]
6 September 2024
La biotechnologie de la « boîte noire » – Intégration de l’intelligence artificielle à la b...
S’attaquer aux risques, au battage médiatique et aux inégalités qui sous-tendent la biologie générative Click here for the English version. Haga clic aquí para la versión en español. Le Centre africain pour la biodiversité (ACB), en collaboration avec le Réseau Tiers-monde (TWN) et l’ETC Group, a produit une note d’information opportune avant la 16e réunion […]
6 September 2024
La caja negra de la biotecnología – Integración de la inteligencia artificial con la biolog...
Afrontar los riesgos, exageraciones y desigualdades de la biología generativa Click here for the English version. Cliquez ici pour la version française. El Centro Africano para la Biodiversidad (ACB), junto con la Third World Network (TWN) y el ETC Group, han elaborado un oportuno documento informativo de cara a la 16ª reunión de la Conferencia […]
3 September 2024
‘Black Box’ Biotechnology – Integration of artificial intelligence with synthetic biology
Addressing the risks, hype, and inequities underpinning generative biology Haga clic aquí para la versión en español. Cliquez ici pour la version française. The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), together with Third World Network (TWN) and ETC Group, have produced a timely briefing paper ahead of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties […]
13 May 2024
GMOs: two decades of laying out the facts
Even though first-generation genetically modified (GM) agricultural crops have faced significant setbacks and outright failures over the last two decades, a new push for second-generation GM crops has emerged. Despite the destructive role of industrial agricultural expansion in biodiversity loss and human health, we are seeing a resurgence in its momentum, with false solutions such […]
5 February 2024
Game-changer for regulation of genome editing and new tech as SA’s Ag Minister overrules Industry...
PRESS RELEASE 5 February 2024 The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), welcomes the final decision taken by the South African Minister of Agriculture Ms Thoko Didiza, in terms of section 19 of the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act of 1997, to uphold the October 2021 decision of the Executive Council (EC) that the risk assessment […]
7 December 2023
Call on South Africa to deregister agrotoxin 2,4-D
Dear friends and colleagues, The ACB, supported by 18 organisations/networks in South Africa, has made a substantive submission to the Registrar of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Seeds and Remedies Act 36 of 1947 (commonly referred to as Act 36), to institute a review in terms of section 4 of the Act 36, into the continued […]
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 […]