Latest Resources
24 March 2025
South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins exposes government’s failure to protect right to life
The South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins (SAPToA) put government on trial in the court of public opinion this past weekend for gross dereliction of its constitutional duties to protect the right to life. Farm workers and community members shared harrowing testimonies of how government has persistently failed to protect farm workers, their families, and […]
18 March 2025
Pesticide poisons on farms, poisons in the streets: People’s Tribunal puts government, agrarian f...
People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins to expose agriculture’s ugly secrets Press Release: South African People’s Tribunal on Agrotoxins For immediate release 18 March 2025 On Human Rights weekend, the South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins will put the government on trial in the court of public opinion for gross dereliction of its constitutional duties to protect […]
3 March 2025
On-going assaults on our food system and peoples’ health
Legal loopholes to allow continued use of highly hazardous pesticides, GM crops On the 27th of February, the ACB submitted substantive objections to the South African government’s attempt to backtrack on its commitments to phase out highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), including glufosinate ammonium (GLA), by way of spurious and potentially unlawful “derogation” regulations. The rise […]
5 February 2025
Financing biodiversity in the face of capitalist extractivism and ecocide
ACB comments on the South African government’s Biodiversity Finance Plan Humanity is facing a multi-faceted crisis of civilisation, with environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Fundamentally, this crisis is caused by capitalist dynamics of accumulation and extraction, and the associated use of the environment as a free or cheap resource and service provider. Effective biodiversity restoration […]
30 January 2025
“Palesa’s Brave Discovery” violates children’s and consumers’ rights
SAPToA reports CropLife and Food for Mzansi for weaponising children in comic book & for false and dangerous advertising Press release by the South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins The South African People’s Tribunal on AgroToxins (SAPToA) has submitted substantive complaints to the South African Human Rights Commission and the Advertising Regulatory Board, calling for […]
16 January 2025
Media campaign highlights urgent need to ban Terbufos, HHPs
In December, the ACB, alongside a coalition of organisations, academics, and unions, submitted a letter of demand to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen. This urgent appeal calls for the immediate ban of Terbufos — a highly hazardous pesticide implicated in the tragic deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto, last year. To amplify […]
6 December 2024
One year later and no substantive response to our call for a review of 2,4-D
Minister Steenhuisen, when can we expect the Registrar to respond? Today marks a year since we called for a review of the registration of 2,4-D in South Africa, in a letter to the Registrar: Act No. 36 of 1947, Mr Jonathan Mudzunga. With no substantive response forthcoming, despite substantiation in a further submission, and persistent […]
5 December 2024
Ban Terbufos and HHPs or face legal action Minister Steenhuisen, says civil society alliance
5 December 2024 A group of organisations, academics, and unions has today sent a letter of demand to Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen, requiring him to immediately ban the lethal chemical that has been implicated in the deaths of six children – Terbufos. At least 22 people have reportedly died from ingesting highly hazardous […]
25 November 2024
Greenhouse gas emissions in the South African food system: Integrated and transformative response...
Climate change is set to wreak havoc on South Africa (SA)’s agri-food system. Increasing temperatures, lower and more erratic rainfall, and more extreme weather events will characterise the climate in Southern Africa over the next decades. This poses challenges for food production and food security. At the same time, SA’s agri-food system is one of […]
22 November 2024
Petition – Reckless endangerment: Hold South African government and chemical industry to account ...
Ban Terbufos with immediate effect, institute mechanisms for banning all highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) within three months Please click here to sign on. Please spread the word by sharing this petition with others: https://t2m.io/PesticideTribunal_BanTerbufos (Klik hier om in Afrikaans te lees.) 22 November 2024 To: South Africans have been alarmed to learn of multiple instances of children […]