Latest Resources
15 October 2009
South African Govt rejects GM potato
In a damning and ground breaking ruling, South Africa’s GM body, the Executive Council (EC), has rejected attempts by the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) to bring GM potatoes to the South African market. The EC cited no less than 11 biosafety and socio economic and agronomic concerns for rejecting ARC’s commercial release application. These support […]
25 September 2009
Africa is heading for an ecological disaster
Genetically Modified (GM) crops, already used extensively in South Africa, are being promoted by the biotech industry through their philanthropic conduits such as the Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet foundations as the principle solution to food insecurity in Africa. The industrialistion of African agriculture that this would entail is more likely to exacerbate […]
11 September 2009
African heritage crops threatened by South African GMO decision
An Appeal Board established by the Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture has overturned a landmark decision by a South African GMO authority on 15 June 2006, to refuse the experimentation of sorghum, a prized African heritage crop. The Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), has now been given the go-ahead to proceed with the […]
12 August 2009
Watchdog lodges Complaint against South African govt for breaking international GMO Treaty
Press release: African Centre for Biosafety 12 August 2009 The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) is a South African NGO deeply concerned with biosafety in South Africa and on the African continent. It campaigns against GMOs in food and agriculture. The ACB has today lodged a complaint to the Compliance Committee established under an international […]
12 September 2008
Sorghum trials permitted, 12 September 2008
AFRICAN HERITAGE CROPS THREATENED BY SOUTH AFRICA GMO DECISION An Appeal Board established by the Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture has overturned a landmark decision by a South African GMO authority on 15 June 2006, to refuse the experimentation of sorghum, a prized African heritage crop. The Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), has […]
13 May 2008
Geraniums Stop that Cough – Pelargonium Factsheet
Rural community of South Africa stands up against pelargonium-patents and biopiracy. The Alice community, living in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa, in close collaboration with the African Center for Biosafety and supported by the Berne Declaration (Switzerland), the Church Development Service (EED) and “Kein Patent auf Leben” (Germany), has challenged two European patents […]
5 March 2008
GM potato rejected in year of potato
The UN General Assembly has declared 2008 to be the ‘international year of the potato’. Unbeknown to the public, the South Africa government has allowed the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), supported by USAID and Michigan State University, to experiment with GM potatoes. All though South Africans on average eat 29 kilograms of potatoes a year, […]
4 March 2008
GM Potatoes face import ban & rejection
GM potatoes rejected in Year of Potato GM potatoes face import bans and rejection The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2008 to be the ‘International Year of the Potato’ in celebration of the potato – one of the world’s best loved foods. Yet, South Africa seems hell bent on messing with the humble potato. […]
20 February 2008
ACB’s Updated GMO biohazard maps
Their ability to escape into the environment is well known. Their safety for people with allergies remains in question. Yet we continue to experiment with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and some have even been commercially released. And yes, they may be growing, undetected, unmarked and right out in the open in a field near you. […]
28 January 2008
Fruit & Veg City’s Stance on the availability of Genetically Modified Produce in SA
RE: FRUIT AND VEG CITY?S STANCE ON THE AVAILABILITY OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED PRODUCE IN SA We at Fruit and Veg City are of the opinion that the availability and sale of genetically modified fruits or vegetables should be treated with caution, and we do not support the current application process to sell these products in […]