Latest Resources

30 January 2017
Standing up for farmer-saved seeds, agrobiodiversity and seed sovereignty! ACB commenting on revi...
The ACB submitted comments on the Plant Breeders’ Rights and Plant Improvement Bills, to the Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources on the 24th January 2017. These bills restrict the saving, trading, exchanging, and sale of seed. This can have massive ramifications on seed and food sovereignty, agricultural biodiversity, access to diverse seed, and […]

17 November 2016
New Lobby document from ACB: transitioning out of GM maize in SA
This four-page document summarises the recent report published by the African Centre for Biodiversity: Transitioning out of GM maize: to agroecology for sustainable, socially just and nutritional food systems, that argues that we need to urgently shift away from the mono-focus on a maize towards embracing a diversity of crops – particularly indigenous African summer […]

2 July 2014
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) submission to ARIPO, AU and UNECA for urgent inter...
This submission contains several grounds upon which AFSA is seeking urgent interventions by ARIPO, the AU and the UNECA to urgently revise the draft ARIPO PVP Protocol to protect farmers rights and the right to food. Read more.

16 May 2013
ACB’s comments on the COMESA Harmonisation of seed trade regulations
ACB’s comments on the COMESA Harmonisation of seed trade regulations. Read here.

19 March 2013
Letter to the UN secretariat on 2,4D
Request for intervention on GMOs likely to have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; GM soybean tolerant to 2,4-D, glufosinate and glyphosate (DAS-44406-6).

30 November 2012
African farm analysts demand answers from UK over DfID funding Is the UK setting up a poverty tra...
The Africa Centre for Biosafety (ACB), supported by Food & Water Europe and the Gaia Foundation, today wrote to UK Ministers for International Development, Business and Environment asking for evidence for the basis of UK overseas aid policy. The ACB recently published a searing critique of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (known […]

26 September 2012
Letter to Minister of Health requesting investigation into GM maize and associated pesticides as ...
Elsewhere in the world this crop is grown primarily for the global livestock sector. However, in South Africa some 77% of our maize production is genetically modified and provides the nation with their daily intake of carbohydrates. The debate on the long term health impacts of GM foods has raged around the globe for almost […]

2 March 2011
Title Submission to the Dept of Justice on the Promotion of Access to Information Amendment Bill-...
Following the promulgation of the Genetically Modified Organisms Act in 1997, numerous GMOs have been approved in South Africa. The 1997 GMO Act was amended in 2006, and the new regulations took effect on the 26th of February 2010. This submission sets out details of our problems in accessing information from government with regard to […]

2 March 2011
ACB submission to the Secretariat of the Biosafety Protocol – discussions on socio-economic...
28 May 2011 The Secretariat of the Biosafety Protocol is engaging in discussions on socio-economic provisions related to decision-making and GMOs (Article 26). The ACB has submitted several studies from South Africa to enrich this discussion and has applied to participate in online discussions. These documents highlight South African experiences regarding the rejection of GM […]