Latest Resources
16 October 2019
The time is now! Recognise, affirm, and support farmer seed systems and agroecology in South Africa!
The deepening social, ecological and climate crises require urgent systematic restructuring of our food systems towards biodiverse, agroecological systems, which begins with seed. The African Centre for Biodiversity is excited to share with you groundwork to revive discussions on farmer seed systems in South Africa, in partnership with farmers and civil society. You can read […]
16 August 2019
Africa must ban glyphosate now!
Thank you for supporting our continental campaign to ban glyphosate The deadline for signing on to the petition was Friday, 30 August, 2019. In the next phase of the campaign, many organisations around the continent are sending letters to their governments calling for a ban. In this paper we explain why. Globally, glyphosate and glyphosate-based […]
13 May 2019
Gene drive organisms: What Africa should know about actors, motives and threats to biodiversity a...
The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has produced a briefing paper in regard to a new and controversial genetic engineering (GE) technology to produce gene drive organisms (GDOs). These GDOs have been specifically designed to spread an engineered, ‘modified’ genetic trait such as sterility, with the potential to eradicate entire wildlife populations and even species. […]
30 April 2019
Oxitec’s failed GM mosquito releases worldwide: Forewarnings for Africa and the Target Malaria pr...
A decade ago, genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes were first released globally, in the Cayman Islands, by UK-based company Oxitec. Further releases followed in Malaysia, Panama and Brazil. In a public relations whitewash, Oxitec has repeatedly claimed that the experiments successfully wiped out nearly 90% of the Aedes aegypti mosquito population, which is one of the […]
23 April 2019
South Africa’s new Plant Breeders’ Rights Act and its effect on farmers’ rights and farmer manage...
In this updated briefing, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) warns that the Plant Breeder’s Rights Act (PBR) 2018 will impact negatively on small-scale farmers and calls for exemptions in the Regulations to protect farmers’ rights. The PBR, together with the new Plant Improvement Act (PIA) 2018, was approved by Parliament last October and has […]
23 April 2019
South Africa’s new seed law and its impacts on farmer seed systems and agricultural biodiversity
In this updated briefing, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) reflects on how the new Plant Improvement Act (PIA) 2018 will further undermine the rights of small-scale farmers while expanding the rights of the corporate agricultural sector, further entrenching its domination. The PIA, together with the new Plant Breeder’s Rights Act (PBR) 2018, was approved […]
17 October 2018
UPOV 1991 and the ITPGRFA: Key issues for farmer managed seed systems in South Africa
The South African government has called upon stakeholders to submit comments and attend stakeholder meetings on the 23rd and 24th October 2018, on the implications of South Africa acceding to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 1991) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture […]
4 October 2018
GM0 ALERT: news and status quo in South Africa
As part of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)’s monitoring and resistance of GMO activities in SA, we share with you, our latest GMO Alert. In this alert we highlight the following issues concerning GMOs in South Africa: General release of the Monsanto/Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) GM drought tolerant maize on hold as […]
20 June 2018
What Does Synthetic Biology Mean for Africa? – An Africa Regional Briefing publication prod...
Huge technical advances in molecular biology and big data biology are leading us towards a ‘forth industrial revolution’ with the ongoing development of novel genetic engineering techniques being reviewed by the UN Conventions for Biological Diversity, under the term ‘synthetic biology’. Such techniques are widening the scope and extent to which organisms can be modified, […]
9 February 2018
Press Release: No benefit to imminent release of risky GM mosquitoes in Burkina Faso
Genetically modified (GM) “male-sterile” mosquitoes are due to be released in Burkina Faso this year by the Target Malaria research consortium. However, Target Malaria acknowledges that there are no benefits to the proposed GM mosquito release. The project is set to apply for a permit to make an open release of 10,000 GM Anopheles gambiae […]