Latest Resources
11 February 2008
ACB’s Comments on Liability & Redress in preparation of the Adhoc Open Ended meeting i...
The African Centre for Biosafety is grateful to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) for the opportunity to make these written comments, and later this month, (29th February 2008), oral submissions, with respect to the South African government’s draft operational text on liability and redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on […]
7 February 2008
GMO Field Trials – A briefing document
Questions around GMO field trials in South Africa continue to be asked. Where exactly are they happening, when will there be adequate environmental risk assessment and post-release monitoring, what are the effects on neighbours of GMO field trials and what are the cumulative affects of all the field trials that have happened in South Africa? […]
4 February 2008
GM Vaccines in South Africa – a case for the precautionary principle
Vaccines containing living genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are still at an experimental level in the world today. In South Africa, the first clinical trials for genetically modified (GM) vaccines were approved in 2003. These included several trials for HIV and TB vaccines, while several more applications for trials are pending, including those for other GM […]
3 February 2008
Objection to the Application made by Syngenta SA for Stacked GM Maize Permit
The African Centre for Biosafety submits these scientific objections in respect of he application for commodity import by Syngenta of its GM maize, MIR604xGA21. We have over the years made several submissions on various legal aspects concerning GM applications in South Africa and will not repeat these here. In addition, we note that the de […]
28 January 2008
Agrofuels in South Africa – projects, players and poverty
The South African government has readily embraced the establishment of an agrofuels industry, citing job creation, the need for clean and renewable energy and the creation of markets for small-holder farmers, as key motivators. Nevertheless, it is our view that the logic of the Biofuels Strategy to introduce large-scale, mono-crop agriculture into the former homelands […]
28 January 2008
Marine Bioprospecting – key challenges and the situation in South Africa
Marine bioprospecting, also known as marine natural products research, is concerned with the exploration and exploitation of the rich biological and chemical diversity found in marine organisms which inhabit the oceans. Marine bioprospecting is a relatively new endeavour, having its origins in the late 1940’s, 8 when Werner Bergman ‘discovered’ arabinoside sugar in marine sponges, […]
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 […]
28 January 2008
Public Participation in context of Patent Laws in South Africa
The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has only recently commenced its work in the fi eld of bioprospecting and biopiracy. A booklet as part of our Biosafety, Biopiracy and Biopolitics series titled, “Bioprospecting, Biopiracy and Indigenous Knowledge: two case studies from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa” by Koyama and Mayet, has been published. In […]
23 November 2007
Displacing Africa’s indigenous food
The African Centre for Biosafety has the pleasure of launching our new briefing titled: “GMOs in Africa: food and agriculture: Status report 2007”. This booklet is the 4th in our Biosafety, Biopolitics and Biopiracy Series. ISBN: 978-0-620-40099-2 By: Shenaz Moola and Victor Munnik Edited by: Mariam Mayet and Rose Williams Layout and design by: Lesley […]