Latest Resources
23 April 2019
South Africa’s new seed law and its impacts on farmer seed systems and agricultural biodiversity
In this updated briefing, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) reflects on how the new Plant Improvement Act (PIA) 2018 will further undermine the rights of small-scale farmers while expanding the rights of the corporate agricultural sector, further entrenching its domination. The PIA, together with the new Plant Breeder’s Rights Act (PBR) 2018, was approved […]
17 October 2018
UPOV 1991 and the ITPGRFA: Key issues for farmer managed seed systems in South Africa
The South African government has called upon stakeholders to submit comments and attend stakeholder meetings on the 23rd and 24th October 2018, on the implications of South Africa acceding to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 1991) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture […]
4 October 2018
GM0 ALERT: news and status quo in South Africa
As part of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)’s monitoring and resistance of GMO activities in SA, we share with you, our latest GMO Alert. In this alert we highlight the following issues concerning GMOs in South Africa: General release of the Monsanto/Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) GM drought tolerant maize on hold as […]
31 July 2017
No Safe Limits for Toxic Pesticides in Our Foods
On 7 April 7 2017 the South African government issued draft amendments to its regulations governing the legal limits for pesticide residues on food crops. The proposed amendments expose the gaps in regulations to date, despite the cultivation of herbicide-tolerant GM crops for almost two decades. As the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) team researched […]
18 July 2017
GM Cotton push in Swaziland: Next target for failed Bt cotton
This paper examines the application of the Bt cotton field trials currently underway in Swaziland. This is situated within the broader wave of GM application and trials across the continent, along with the weakening of national biosafety regulations, as part of the GM push across Africa. This paper is based on research on the Swaziland […]
25 May 2017
South Africa and 2,4 D stacked GM maize: biosafety, socio-economic risks
In 2015–2016 Dow AgroSciences Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd performed field trials on maize tolerant to 2,4-D (event DAS-87078-9) and stacked varieties carrying not only 2,4-D tolerance, but also glyphosate tolerance and/or Bt insectidal toxins. The trials are on going in 2017. The trials follow the approval for import for food, feed and processing in 2012, […]
30 August 2015
AFAP in Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania—for profits or people?
The chemical fertiliser push in Africa and its implications for smallholder farmers is not receiving enough attention in current discourses concerning Green Revolution policies and practises in Africa. Yet chemical fertilisers are big business on the continent, where its adoption is strongly supported by African governments through subsidy schemes and regional organisations such as NEPAD, […]
30 June 2015
What next after a ban on glyphosate – more toxic chemicals and GM crops?
This briefing calls for a ban on glyphosate and that other toxic herbicides, such as 2,4-D and dicamba must similarly also come under urgent review and that adequate measures must be put in place to ensure that more toxic chemicals do not replace glyphosate.
23 July 2014
Peddling for Profits: Pioneer Hi-Bred’s redundant rootworm-resistant GM maize coming soon t...
In this briefing, we show how SA’s biosafety regulatory system favours profits over sound biosafety practise as the regulators have authorised field trials of a GM maize variety to combat a pest, the corn root worm that does not exist in SA at all and will not, for 100 years!! Read here.
20 May 2014
GM Contamination, Cartels and Collusion in South Africa’s Bread Industry
This briefing paper exposes the high levels of GM soya in South Africa’s popular white bread brands and reveals how just four companies – Tiger Brands, Pioneer Foods, Premier Foods and Foodcorp control the Wheat-to-Bread value chain. This value chain feeds into another concentrated retail food market controlled by Shoprite/Checkers, Pick n Pay, Woolworths and […]