Latest Resources

Uganda – GMO Legislation

INTRODUCTION During 2001, Uganda embarked on a national agricultural biotechnology programme focusing on the several transformative biotechnology innovations, and genetic engineering (GE). This programme is linked to Uganda’s policy to eradicate poverty by 2015, described in its Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). PEAP is Uganda’s overarching macro-economic framework, designed to transform Uganda into a modern […]

Kenya – GMO Legislation

A Bill For An Act Of Parliament To Regulate Biotechnology And Biosafety Matters And For Connected Purposes. The ACB has been requested by a network of NGOs and other civil society groups in Kenya, to analyse and critically comment on the latest draft of the Kenyan Biosafety Bill (“the Bill”). Read the draft bill here.

Opening Pandora’s box: GMOs, Fuelish Paradigms and South Africa’s Biofuels Strategy

Towards the end of 2006, the South African Cabinet approved a Draft Biofuels Industry Strategy 3 (‘Biofuels Strategy’), where after, the document was released for public comment. The Biofuels Strategy is supported by a feasibility study, 4 and read together, these documents propose the establishment of a biofuels industry with E8 and B2 blend targets […]

Contaminated US Rice Must Be Recalled From Africa

African Groups Condemn US Decision To Authorize Illegal GM Rice Sent To Africa Friends of the Earth Africa and the African Center for Biosafety are today urging African countries to monitor US rice imports and to recall all shipments contaminated with GM rice known as LibertyLink601 (LL601). This call follows the confirmation of the presence […]

South Africa’s Wine Industry Threatened By GM Grapevine Trials

Issued by the African Centre for Biosafety and Earthlife Africa The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) and Earthlife Africa Ethekwini (ELA), are calling on the South African government to reject an application by the Institute for Wine Biotechnology (IWB) based at the University of Stellenbosch, to conduct open- air field trials in South Africa, involving […]

Groups in Latin America and Africa call for rejection of World Bank GEF biosafety projects

Two World Bank projects, with funding from the GEF (Global Environmental Facility), propose to introduce genetically modified crops such as maize, potatoes, cassava, rice and cotton into African and Latin American countries that are centres of origin or diversity for these and other major food crops. Civil society organisations warn that DNA contamination from genetically […]

South Africans support international GM opposition day

Earthlife Africa (ELA) and the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) are joining an international day of action on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on Saturday the 8th of April, in demanding that GM food for sale in South Africa is labeled as such. Currently, South Africa’s labeling regulations do not require the mandatory labeling of GM […]

Out of Africa: Mysteries of access and benefit sharing

In late 2005 the Edmunds Institute and the African Centre for Biosafety contacted famed bio-pirate hunter Jay McGowan to investigate incidences of access and benefit sharing in Africa. Despite many constraints on the research, McGowan found a plethora of incidents where transnational corporations had utilised African biodiversity without concluding benefit sharing agreements with the local […]

Act now for GM free food!

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 one’s too. Consumers have the power! Let’s take back our food supply… Keep writing to them To demand GM free food the […]

Pioneer Hi-Bred, Dow Agrosciences wants SA to approve risky GM maize

During January 2005, Pioneer Hi-Bred RSA (Pty) Ltd and Dow Agrosciences Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd applied to the Executive Council and the Registrar: GMO Act, for a food and feed safety approval for its GM maize HerculexT RW. This GM maize variety is not currently grown commercially anywhere in the world; and is under investigation […]