Latest Resources

21 Jul 2022

Zanzibar’s draconian seed law in the offing. Case study of unabated corporate expansion and contr...

(Tafadhali bonyeza hapa kusoma kwa Kiswahili) This paper provides a critique of the Zanzibar draft Seed Bill that contains provisions set to undermine the rights of smallholder farmers, by marginalising and criminalising their seed systems, while aiding the corporate entry and control of seed and agriculture systems on the Isles.  Adopting Western-style law making, the […]

22 Jun 2022

The failure of multilateralism – and rise of corporate capture of the CBD

The current state of the planet, and in particular climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, reflect on the legitimacy of environmental multilateralism such as the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD). The convergence of the multiple global ecological, climate, and economic crises is not been met with the requisite urgent response and action. Instead, over […]

22 Jun 2022

Who will fund biodiversity conservation, and its implications for Africa?

Where adequate funds will come from to reduce rampant biodiversity loss is crucial to ensuring the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). African countries are demanding that developed countries pay for their ecological debt, and implementation of the GBF, in terms of Article 20 of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD). But how will […]

21 Jun 2022

Where is agricultural biodiversity in the Post-2020 GBF?

While the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) attempts to deal with the indirect and direct drivers of biodiversity decline, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Global Biodiversity Outlook Reports, it remains glaringly weak, with serious and severe gaps. We wonder, where does the Post-2020 GBF deal […]

25 May 2022

Will GM cane be the icing on South Africa’s masterplan for sugar?

The ACB was shocked to discover that over the past years research has been conducted for the application for field trials of a genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant (Bt) and herbicide-tolerant (Ht) sugar cane variety, primarily as protection against the lepidopteran stalk borer Eldana saccharina. As we report in our new alert, in the same timeframe, […]

30 Apr 2022

Is the end of the State of Disaster the beginning of mandatory vaccines in South Africa?

The endless extensions to the State of Disaster, initially declared two years ago, has provoked criticism from medical experts and calls for its end from public-interest groups and an increasingly fed-up citizenry. Recently, the government announced that the restrictions were finally to be lifted.  However, during this time, a draft amendment to the National Health […]

28 Apr 2022

The financialisation of malaria in Africa: Burkina Faso, rogue capital & GM /gene drive mosq...

(Veuillez cliquer ici pour lire en français) The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) hereby publishes a new research paper, titled, “The Financialisation of malaria: Burkina Faso, Rogue capital & GM/gene drive mosquitoes.” This paper seeks to understand the financialisation of malaria as a vehicle for rogue capital in a context of a weakened state (through […]

14 Apr 2022

International day of Peasants’ Struggles 17 April 2022 – UN expert applauds vital rol...

GENEVA (14 April 2022) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, draws attention to the struggles of peasants and others which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the rise of extrajudicial violence against peasants and armed conflicts around the world. On the International Day of Peasants’ Struggles, he […]

18 Mar 2022

25th Meeting, 49th Regular Session of Human Rights Council – Presentation of the Special Rapporte...

“The type of seed system you decide to support will determine your ability to tackle hunger, famine and nutrition.” In his report and presentation at the 49th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), on 14 March, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, outlined two types of seed […]

8 Mar 2022

Coalition demands a ban of Bt Cowpea in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries

A coalition of non-governmental organisations, farmer groups and research experts from various African countries call on the Nigerian government to revoke the permits granted by Nigeria’s National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) to the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, for the commercial release of genetically modified (Bt) Cowpea (PBR-Cowpea). This call was made yesterday in […]