Latest Resources
5 October 2018
The future of smallholder farmer support in Tanzania: Where to after the National Agricultural In...
A publication by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) titled The Future of smallholder farmer support in Tanzania: Where to after the National Agricultural Input Voucher System (NAIVS)? discusses farm input subsidies in Tanzania and their impacts on smallholder farmers. The report examines the history of farm input subsidy programmes (FISPs) in the country, with […]
10 September 2018
Report from SADC regional farmer speak out on farm input subsidy programmes
Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) jointly hosted a meeting of farmers and civil society organisations (CSOs) in August 2018 to share views and experiences on farm input subsidy programmes (FISPs) and public sector support for agroecology in the region. About 140 participants from Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, […]
8 September 2018
The Arusha Protocol and Regulations: Institutionalising UPOV 1991 in African seed systems and laws
In the recently published discussion document by the African Centre for Biodiversity titled, The Arusha Protocol and Regulations: Institutionalising UPOV 1991 in African seed systems & laws, authors Linzi Lewis and Mariam Mayet attempt to provide an updated, and holistic critique of the Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants read together […]
5 April 2018
A tale of neo-apartheid plans, dodgy dealings and corporate capture: Government support to South ...
Press Release from the African Centre for Biodiversity Johannesburg, Thursday 5 April 2018 Limited transparency, weak accountability, and capture by corporations and politically-connected individuals. These are features of the current South African landscape found in government’s smallholder farmer support programmes, according to a research report by African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) released today. The report, […]
23 March 2018
Seed policy paper: Towards national and regional seed policies in Africa that recognise and suppo...
The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has prepared this policy discussion document as a contribution towards national and regional seed policies in Africa that recognise and support farmer seed systems. The document is an effort to synthesise the policy issues emerging from our research and advocacy work on farmer seed systems in the past few […]
15 March 2018
Objection to Application by Dow for general release of GM maize: MON89034 X TC1507 x NK603 with t...
The ACB has played an essential watch-dog role on new GMO permits in South Africa for a decade now, adding substantially to the discourse about the scientific assessment of GMOs as well as about issues of socioeconomic impacts and democratic decisionmaking, through lodging substantive comments on at least 30 permit applications. We are objecting to […]
1 March 2018
A review of participatory plant breeding and lessons for African seed and food sovereignty movements
There is growing awareness of the unique and important role smallholder farmers around the world play in conserving, using and enhancing biodiversity. Conventional breeding has created a separation between farmers and specialised breeders. Participatory plant breeding (PPB) is a field of action developed over the past 25-30 years to overcome this separation, and reunite farmers […]
23 February 2018
Face to Face: African CSOs confront ARIPO, SADC over Draconian Harmonised Seed Laws
The ACB has the pleasure of sharing with you a short 5-minute video of the Southern African seed law and seed sovereignty dialogue, Face to Face: African CSOs confront ARIPO, SADC over Draconian Harmonised Seed Laws, co-hosted by the ACB in partnership with PELUM-Zimbabwe, which took place in Harare, Zimbabwe, 28-30th June 2017. Please watch […]
8 February 2018
Monsanto’s risky triple herbicide-tolerant soybeans to enter South Africa’s food systems
ACB warns that the South African government has received an application for the commodity clearance (import for food, feed and processing) of ‘triple-stacked variety of genetically modified (GM) soya – MON 87708 X MON 89788 X A5547-127 by Monsanto South Africa (Pty) Ltd in October 2017. This GM Soybean variety represent has been genetically engineered […]
31 January 2018
ACB’s Objection to Monsanto’s Application for Commodity Clearance of MON 87708 × MON 89788 × A554...
ACB is objecting to the commodity clearance of the triple-stacked GM soybean event MON 87708 x MON 89788 x A5547-127, due to concerns surrounding the lack of safety assessment data for this crop and the known toxicity of the three pesticides it is designed to tolerate. Its tolerance to three pesticides, glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba […]