Latest Resources
9 January 2012
ACB comments on biofuels mandatory blending
The African Centre for Biodiversity hereby lodges its objections and comments to the draft regulations regarding the mandatory blending of biofuels with petrol and diesel. Read here.
8 December 2010
Competition Commission rejects Pioneer Hi Bred seed takeover
Media Advisory from the African Centre for Biosafety Johannesburg, 8th December 2010. The African Centre for Biosafety applauds the decision of the Competition Commission not to approve the take-over of Pannar Seed, South Africa’s largest seed company, by the multinational corporation and seed giant, Pioneer Hi-Bred, a subsidiary of the DuPont chemical company. The ACB […]
28 January 2010
Marketing of GE potatoes in South Africa imminent: African farmers face loss of markets and consu...
South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has developed a GE-insect resistant potato (SpuntaG2, which is a Bt potato) with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This potato now awaits safety assessment and general release approval from the national authorities. Read here.
5 December 2009
JENNIFER THOMSON’S GM Virus Resistant Maize
During 2007, researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), particularly Professor Jennifer Thompson, in collaboration with Pannar seed South Africa, announced that they had developed transgene-derived resistance to the pathogen Maize-Streak-Virus (MSV). They also claimed to have developed the first maize with transgenic MSV resistance, heralding the first all-African produced genetically modified crop plant.[i] […]
15 May 2009
Africa’s Green Revolution rolls out the Gene Revolution
The ‘New Green Revolution in Africa’, touted since the 1990s, was given renewed impetus two and a half years ago, when the Rockefeller and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations launched the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Although AGRA itself does not incorporate genetically modified (GM) crops in its projects, the ominous presence […]
22 August 2008
Letter from McDonalds Restaurant re GM Potatoes
Allegedly, McDonald’s is committed to providing quality food to our customers and source our products and ingredients from the best suppliers locally and globally. In South Africa, their potatoes are sourced from McCain Foods and so we asked their Managing Director, Mr Owen Porteus, to provide us with full clarification on the use of GMO […]
11 February 2008
ACB’s Comments on Liability & Redress in preparation of the Adhoc Open Ended meeting i...
The African Centre for Biosafety is grateful to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) for the opportunity to make these written comments, and later this month, (29th February 2008), oral submissions, with respect to the South African government’s draft operational text on liability and redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on […]
1 July 2007
SA’s new GM experiment’s cause for great concern
It is with extreme disquiet that the Africa Centre for Biosafety (ACB) notes the recent spate of new applications for GM experiments in South Africa. These experiments with new GMOs not only place human populations and the environment at great risk, but continue to reinforce a flawed development paradigm, which seeks to introduce hi-tech products […]
11 February 2007
South Africa – National Environmental Management Biodiver Act
Support Letter – Response To Open Invitation By Csir For The Development Of Guidelines To Implement The Provisions Of Section 78 Of The Biodiversity Act EARTHLIFE AFRICA – eThekwini Branch. Read here. Response To Open Invitation By Csir For The Development Of Guidelines To Implement The Provisions Of Section 78 Of The Biodiversity Act Safe […]
24 August 2006
Is South Africa in the US WTO Sights Over GM Import Ban?
Opinion And Analysis: By Mariam Mayet, August 2006 South Africa’s ban on GM import approvals South Africa’s pro-genetic engineering (GE) stance is well documented[1] and enshrined in national government policy. [2] During the period 2001-4, South Africa’s Executive Council (ExCo)[3] established under the Genetically Modified Organisms Act (GMO Act) has allowed the importation into South […]