Latest Resources

ACB to battle SA Govt/ Monsanto over controversial GM ‘drought tolerant’ maize

The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has on 7th August 2015, lodged an appeal to Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Senzeni Zokwana, against the general release approval of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) maize, MON87460 granted by the Executive Council (EC): GMO Act. Such approval means that Monsanto can sell the GM maize seed, MON87460, […]

Get Involved

You Can make a difference by keeping the pressure on food producers. Consumer pressure works… Especially if it is constant and relentless… We have won many victories and we can win the big ones too. Consumers have the power! Let’s take back our food supply… Please sign our petition to call on South African food […]

The Consumers Have a Right to say NO! No GMO in our Bread!

Dear CEO Pick n Pay Mr Richard Brasher, CEO Spar Mr Wayne Hook, CEO Shoprite/Checkers Dr. Whitey Basson, CEO Woolworths Mr Ian Moir, CEO Tiger Brands, Mr Peter Matlare, CEO Premier Foods Mr Tjaart Kruger, MD FoodCorp, MD Mr CB Sampson, We, the undersigned members of the public, are outraged to learn that our daily […]

Objection to Monsanto’s application for commodity clearance for MON 89034 x MON 88017

This submission by Monsanto makes a joke of biosafety risk assessment in that it is not based on the actual event under consideration, but rather, the applicant posits claim of lack of harm, toxicity, and allergenicity based on data carried out on other lines containing the same transgene/event. This violates the case by case approach […]

Call for Parliamentary hearing on GMOs

Call for urgent Parliamentary hearing on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and transparent review of risk assessment procedures and public participation in GMO decision making To Mr. Mlungisi Lulu Johnson Chair: Portfolio Committee on Agriculture Parliament of South Africa Dear Honourable Mr Johnson, Recent events, such as the nationwide protests against Monsanto and consumer outrage over […]

ACB’s objection to Dow’s application for field trials: MON 89034 x TC 1507 x MON NK603

The ACB has submitted an objection to an application by Dow Agro-sciences to conduct a field trial of the stacked GM maize event MON 89034 x TC 1507 x MON NK603. Most of the information required for an independent assessment has been omitted on the grounds that it is ‘confidential business information’. What information has […]

ACB’s comments on the Plant Breeders Rights Bill

We are grateful to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for allowing us the opportunity to attend the stakeholder workshop on the 22nd of May 2013 and for inviting us to submit our comments on the Plant Breeders’ Rights Bill. We are also pleased to note that the DAFF has indeed taken on board […]

Comments by the African Centre for Biosafety on SA’s Plant Improvement Bill

According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (UNFAO), over the course of the 20th century, 75% of the world’s plant genetic diversity was lost, as local varieties and land races have been replaced with genetically uniform seed. A similar process in animal husbandry has put 53% of all livestock breeds at risk of […]

Tiger Brand snubs consumers on GM Purity baby food concerns

Baby FoodTiger Brands has snubbed South African consumers who petitioned the company about high levels of genetically modified (GM) maize found in Tiger Brand’s Purity baby food products. In April 2013 GMO watchdog organisation, the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB), sent two Purity products to an independent GMO testing laboratory to test for the presence […]

Civil society petition to Tiger Brands t/a Purity

Outraged by the results of tests conducted by the ACB. We, the undersigned members of civil society, are outraged by the ACB’s test results showing that Purity’s Cream of Maize tested positive as containing 56.25% GM maize; and Purity’s Purity Baby First tested positive as containing 71.47% GM maize. We note with alarm, that this […]