Latest Resources

13 July 2010

Comments on COMESA’s Draft Policy on GMOs

The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) was very recently handed a copy of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa’s (COMESA) ‘Draft policy statements and guidelines for commercial planting of GMOs, Trade in GMOs and Emergency Food aid with GMO content’. Having perused the policy we are alarmed and outraged that COMESA appears to […]

6 July 2010

Letter re South Africa’s non-compliance with information sharing requirements of the Cartag...

This is our third appeal to the Minister of Agriculture to comply with obligations under the Cartagena Protocol. This document lays out our concerns to the Minister and details the minimum requirements for information on GMOs that must be posted to the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) according to the Protocol. It highlights the shortfalls in […]

7 February 2010

Bayer, Monsanto vie for South Africa’s sugar cane

Bayer, Monsanto vie for South Africa’s sugar cane Bayer is bank rolling the South African Association-Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) who have approached SA’s National Department of Agriculture for permission to conduct open field trials of GM sugarcane. SASRI also hopes to test a GM sugarcane variety using Monsanto’s Bt gene. Read here.

25 January 2010

GM Cassava update from the African Centre for Biosafety

During 2006, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) submitted an application to the South African GMO Authority, the Executive Council: GMO Act, for permission to conduct field trials of GM Cassava. The ACB and the international NGO, GRAIN, submitted comprehensive objections to the application on 8 September 2006, widely supported by local and international groups and […]

13 July 2009

Comments on Nigeria’s Draft Biosafety Bill

An Act to Provide for the Management of Biosafety and other related matters, 2007 Environmental Rights Action (ERA) (Friends of the Earth, Nigeria) has approached the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) to provide them with our comments on the latest draft of their country’s biosafety bill. The ACB has in the past, provided formal and […]

11 June 2009

COMMENTS ON THE NATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SAFETY BILL OF UGANDA

We have in the past, commented on several drafts of Uganda’s biosafety law and will not repeat the issues canvassed therein regarding the role and influence of the United States. We have been requested by civil society groups to comment on the National Biotechnology Safety Bill, 2008, approved by Uganda’s Cabinet during April 2008. Uganda […]

20 May 2009

Kenyan Biosafety Bill – May 2009

Genetically Modified crop plants continue to be offered to Africa as a solution to alleviate poverty and stave off hunger. It is a trite observation that hunger has little to do with how efficiently food is produced or how much food is available for consumption. Indeed, hunger is rooted in socio-economic realities which limit the […]

17 March 2008

Liability with clipped wings cannot fly

Representatives of civil society bear in mind the impacts of international regimes at the national and local levels. Will they help or will they harm? Bearing in mind biodiversity and people on the ground CSOs discussed the Co-Chair?s Core Elements Paper in conjunction with the proposals on the table in the Subworking Groups. Read here.

20 February 2008

ACB’s Submissions to the SA’s govt’s position on International Liability and Re...

Concerns with South Africa’s Biotechnology Strategy Detailed comments on draft operational text Preferred Options. Read here.