Latest Resources
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 […]
6 May 2008
Rural Community of SA stand up against Pelargonium Patents & Biopiracy
A rural community in South Africa stands up against pelargonium patents and biopiracy. The Alice community, living in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa, in close collaboration with the African Centre for Biosafety, and supported by the Berne Declaration (Switzerland), the Church Development Service (EED) and “Kein Patent auf Leben” (Germany), has challenged two […]
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.
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 […]
15 October 2007
NGO Statement on an international regime on ABS
NGO Statement on an international regime on ABS. Read here.
6 September 2007
World Bank Projects on Biosafety Harmonisation
In Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Mali, Senegal A disclaimer addressed to the attention of GEF CEO and GEF council members by the Coalition for the Protection of African Genetic Heritage (COPAGEN). Read more here.
27 July 2007
ACB Submission on Bioprospecting & ABS Draft Regulations, 2007
SUBMISSIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM ON THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: BIODIVERSITY ACT, 2004: REGULATIONS ON BIOPROSPECTING, ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING. Read here.
27 July 2007
ACB Submission on IPRs from Publicaly Funded Research Bill, 2007
Currently, South African intellectual property legislation is highly fragmented, a situation that gives rise to a number of gaps and anomalies that undermine the rights of indigenous people. “Indigenous people” is not clearly defined by NEMBA or it Draft Regulations except to refer to such people as residing in a defined geographical area to which […]
27 July 2007
Rural Communities Express Dismay: “land grabs” fuelled by Biofuels Strategy
More than sixty people met in Durban on March 5th 2007, to discuss the South African government’s Draft Industrial Biofuels Strategy, which is open for public comment until the end of March. The undersigned NGOs, individuals, farmer organisations and rural communities from KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga who attended the workshop, express our extreme […]