Latest Resources

Revised African Model Law Biosafety Strategy Briefing June 2009

Haidee Swanby of the African Centre for Biosafety attended a meeting hosted by the African Union during May 2009 in Arusha, Tanzania on various biosafety initiatives of importance to the continent. In this briefing paper Haidee discusses the meeting and the issues and challenges lying ahead for the continent. Read here.

Marker assisted selection (MAS): Key issues for Africa

‘Marker Assisted Selection’ uses molecular markers as tools in a plant or animal breeding programme to select for important agricultural traits, such as nutritional quality, drought tolerance, disease and pest resistance. It has been suggested that MAS has the potential to increase food production and help initiate a new Green Revolution in Africa. A much […]

The Geopolitics of Agrofuels

OPENING PANDORA’S BOX: GMOS, FUELISH PARADIGMS AND SOUTH AFRICA’s BIOFUELS STRATEGY. Read here.

Displacing Africa’s Indigenous Food: Monsanto & AATF’s GM Cowpea Project

Nairobi based African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and Monsanto are set to introduce genetically engineered cowpeas in the coming years into the fields and tables of Africa. It will use Nigeria and Burkina Faso as key entry points, with Ghana, Cameroon, Niger and Mali comprising the second tier of countries that will be targeted. The […]

Agrofuels in South Africa – projects, players and poverty

The South African government has readily embraced the establishment of an agrofuels industry, citing job creation, the need for clean and renewable energy and the creation of markets for small-holder farmers, as key motivators. Nevertheless, it is our view that the logic of the Biofuels Strategy to introduce large-scale, mono-crop agriculture into the former homelands […]

GMOs in Africa: Food and Agriculture. Status Report 2007

The African Centre for Biosafety has the pleasure of launching our new book titled, “GMOs in Africa: food and agriculture: Status report 2007. This booklet is the 4th in our Biosafety, Biopolitics and Biopiracy Series. ISBN: 978-0-620-40099-2 By: Shenaz Moola and Victor Munnik Edited by: Mariam Mayet and Rose Williams Layout and design by: Lesley […]

African Model Law on Safety in Biotechnology

African Model Law on Safety in Biotechnology 2007 Read briefing here.

Trojan Horse for GMOs

After more than 10 years of genetically modified (GM) crop plants being grown in the world, only South Africa out of 53 countries on the African continent have commercial plantings of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Nine countries: Burkina Faso; Egypt; Kenya; Morocco; Senegal; South Africa; Tanzania; Zambia; and Zimbabwe have reported field trials of GMOs, […]

Malawi – GMO Legislation

The government of Malawi published its biosafety draft regulations in The Malawi Gazette Supplement on 13 September 2002 (“biosafety law”), at the height of the GM food aid controversy when several countries in Southern Africa imposed restrictions on the acceptance of genetically modified food aid from the United States. Malawi accepted the GM food aid, […]

Turning Food into Fuel

GM Drought Tolerant Soybean and its use in the Production of Biodiesel Read the briefing here.