Latest Resources
17 April 2010
An Open Letter to Oxfam America
Sent from the following concerned groups: African Center on Biodiversity, South Africa (Mariam Mayet, Executive Director) Bharatiya Krishak Samaj/Indian Farmers Association, India (Krishan Bir Chaudhary, President) Center for Food Safety, U.S. (Debi Barker, International Director) CNOP (Coordination Nationale des organizations Paysannes/ National Coordination of Peasant Organizations), Mali (Ibrahima Coulibaly, President) Grassroots International, US (Nikhil Aziz, […]
4 March 2010
The GM stacked gene revolution: A biosafety nightmare
Stacked GMOs are those containing more than one gene genetically engineered into a crop plant. A controversial stacked GMO, Smarstax containing 8 such genetically engineered genes, was commercially approved in the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea during 2009. Stacked gene varieties are highly complex, posing new biosafety risks that outpace the capacity of regulatory […]
11 December 2009
Africa’s Granary Plundered Privatisation of Tanzanian Sorghum Protected by the Seed Treaty
A gene recently isolated from a Tanzanian farmers’ variety of sorghum may yield tremendous pros for multinational companies and government researchers in the United States and Brazil. Called SbMATE, it is not only useful in sorghum; but also may be used in other crops, including genetically engineered (GE) maize, wheat, and rice as well as […]
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.
19 June 2009
Revised African Model Law Biosafety Strategy Briefing June 2009
Haidee Swanby of the African Centre for Biosafety attended a meeting hosted by the African Union during May 2009 in Arusha, Tanzania on various biosafety initiatives of importance to the continent. In this briefing paper Haidee discusses the meeting and the issues and challenges lying ahead for the continent. 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 […]
27 July 2004
SA biosafety regulators in bed with industry on GM potatoes?
The South African government has approved a United States funded project that will soon see genetically engineered potatoes sprouting in six secret locations in African soil. Similar potatoes were first grown in the United States but were withdrawn from the market due to consumer resistance. Read more.