Latest Resources
9 November 2009
Response from the AU Commission Biosafety Unit to Briefing no. 9
In July 2009 The African Union Biosafety Unit communicated their concerns about the ACB’s briefing no.9, their letter can be viewed here. The original briefing can be viewed at here, The ACB’s response is titled On-going concerns about harmonisation of biosafety regulations in Africa, November 2009.
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 […]
14 August 2007
ACB’s Comments on Kenya’s June 2007 Biosafety Bill, August 2007
Kenya’s Biosafety Bill is drafted as an enabling statute and will require the promulgation of numerous regulations in order to bring it into effect. It’s fundamental nature is one of a lenient permitting system as opposed to a biosafety regime intention regulating genetically modified organisms within a context of caution. Read here.
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 […]
1 March 2007
Nigeria – GMO Legislation
Comments On Nigerian Biosafety Act 2006. Read here.
11 February 2007
Tanzania – GMO Legislation
THE NATIONAL BIOSAFETY GUIDELINES FOR TANZANIA According to the Minister of State in the Vice President’s office-Environment, the Honourable Mr Ntagazwa, the Biosafety Guidelines are meant to “facilitate the importation and use of GMOs and their products in Tanzania”. Indeed, the Guidelines, which pay a great deal of attention to scientific details, establish a non-legally […]
11 February 2007
Swaziland – GMO Legislation
OVERVIEW We have been approached by civil society groups in Swaziland to provide comments on the Draft National Policy Document, “Creating an enabling environment for the safe use of biotechnology and its products in Swaziland” and the Biosafety Bill, 2005. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)/World Food Programme (WFP) crop and food supply […]
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 […]