Latest Resources

Report from SADC regional farmer speak out on farm input subsidy programmes

Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) jointly hosted a meeting of farmers and civil society organisations (CSOs) in August 2018 to share views and experiences on farm input subsidy programmes (FISPs) and public sector support for agroecology in the region. About 140 participants from Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, […]

Farm input subsidy programme (FISP) info pamphlet

This pamphlet offers a quick background on the FISPs and the key issues and concerns. It explains what FISPs are, their aims, why the FISPs are failing to meet their objectives, how they promote small-scale farmer dependency, and ways of transitioning out of FISPs towards more appropriate forms of smallholder farmer support. African Centre for […]

WEMA’S Bt Maize & Fall Armyworm Africa claims are unscientific and unsubstantiated

Press Release from the African Centre for Biodiversity Johannesburg, June 27 A new research paper BT Maize and the Fall Armyworm in Africa: Debunking industry claims published by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) today, debunks unsubstantiated and unscientific claims made by the biotech machinery, especially the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project, that […]

The debate on GMOs in Africa rages on, this time in Tanzania

A heated public debate on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) ensued during a seminar organised by MVIWATA – a network of smallholder farmers – in Morogoro, Tanzania. The meeting took place on 12 May 2018 and was attended by more than a hundred people, including parliamentarians and high-level government officials. The event, which was intended only […]

Biosafety Indaba eSwatini: Unclear motives following approval to cultivate Bt cotton, despite dis...

The news that the Swaziland Environmental Authority (SEA) had authorised the importation and commercial release of Bt cotton seeds came as a huge shock to the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). It meant that ACB had to reconsider its earlier acceptance of an invitation by SEA to attend a National Biosafety Indaba on 22 May […]

The GMO crisis in Swaziland

Swaziland is under enormous pressure to introduce genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the country’s farming system. This pressure is coming not only from Monsanto but also from farmers and some sections of the public who have been fed a great deal of misinformation and hype by the pro-biotech machinery. The farmers, acting on incomplete and […]

Farm Input Subsidies and Civil Society’s Position in Mozambique

This statement represents the position of civil society in Mozambique on farm input subsidies.

Civil society in Mozambique statement on farm input subsidies in that country

This statement represents the position of civil society in Mozambique on farm input subsidies in that country.

GM cotton in Africa: battleground between US and Chinese Capital

This paper provides an overview of the GM cotton push in in East and Southern Africa, within the context of the global and regional cotton markets.

Frequently asked questions about the WEMA project

The ACB and TWN have put together a short Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Project.