Latest Resources
5 May 2017
Green Revolution Factsheet 3: Farmers have alternatives
The third factsheet in this 8-part series looks at the alternatives to industrial monoculture. Chichewa | English | Nyanja | Portuguese | Sesotho | Setswana | Shona | Siswati | Swahili | For the next factsheet in the series, click here.
5 May 2017
Green Revolution Factsheet 2: What is wrong with the Green Revolution
The Green Revolution is the introduction of high-yielding seed varieties and modern farming techniques. Part 2 of this 8-part factsheet series looks at what is wrong with the Green Revolution on the African continent. Chichewa | English | Nyanja | Portuguese | Sesotho | Setswana | Shona | Siswati | Swahili | Xhosa Click here […]
5 May 2017
Green Revolution Factsheet 1: What is the Green Revolution
The Green Revolution is the introduction of high-yielding seed varieties and modern farming techniques. Our 8-part factsheet series explores the impact of these developments on food production and farming. Chichewa | English | Nyanja | Portuguese | Sesotho | Setswana | Shona | Siswati | Swahili | Xhosa For the next factsheet click here. Download […]
5 May 2017
Factsheets: Plant Breeders’ Rights
In the eighth factsheet in the series you can read about plant breeders’ rights, farmers’ right and UPOV 1991. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili For the ninth factsheet click here.
5 May 2017
Factsheets: Seed from the commercial sector
This fourth factsheet in the series about Farmer Seed Systems looks at seeds from the commercial sector and its place in the seed system. English | French | Portuguese | Shona | Swahili To read the next factsheet, click here.
3 December 2014
Who owns our food systems: GM pap — No choice for South Africans
Labelling does not give South Africans true choice; the only maize available on the market is GM. This is food fascism! Download this factsheet: English | Afrikaans | Sotho | Zulu To read the rest of the fact sheets in this series, click here.
27 July 2012
What you should know about Dows, 2,4-D GM maize
During May 2012, the South African GMO authorities1 approved Dow Chemical’s highly controversial GM maize variety, DAS-40278-9 for import into South Africa for direct use as food, feed and processing. This GM variety has been genetically engineered to withstand liberal applications of Dow’s toxic chemical herbicide 2,4-D and has yet to be approved for growing […]
24 March 2011
GM crops in South Africa – who benefits?
Anybody who has heard of genetically modified (GM) crops has also heard that we in Africa must accept them or face starvation. The primary message is that GM crops have been developed for the poor and hungry. This is a highly emotional argument put forward by the companies that develop GM technology. However, when we […]
24 March 2011
GMO food labelling – consumers’ right to know
It is a consumer’s right to know what is in their food and to make informed choices about what they eat. Yet, South Africans have been eating genetically modified (GM) food for more than a decade without their knowledge or consent. The producers of GM foods say that these foods are perfectly safe, but many […]
24 March 2011
GM cotton in SA
The biotechnology industry has really tried to win small-scale farmers over to genetically modified (GM) cotton, especially in Africa and Asia. Getting cotton approved in a country is a good way for the industry to pave the way for the entry of GM food crops. It is estimated that farmers around the globe planted about […]