Latest Resources
12 March 2010
Support our appeal to the minister for Environmental Impact Assessment of GM maize GA21
On the13th of December 2009, Syngenta published a public notice of their intent to apply to the GMO Registrar for a permit for the general release of genetically modified maize, GA21. Having obtained a ‘non-confidential-business-information’ version of Syngenta’s application, it is our contention that the application cannot be adequately assessed. The information provided is sketchy […]
28 January 2010
Marketing of GE potatoes in South Africa imminent: African farmers face loss of markets and consu...
South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has developed a GE-insect resistant potato (SpuntaG2, which is a Bt potato) with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This potato now awaits safety assessment and general release approval from the national authorities. Read here.
5 December 2009
JENNIFER THOMSON’S GM Virus Resistant Maize
During 2007, researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), particularly Professor Jennifer Thompson, in collaboration with Pannar seed South Africa, announced that they had developed transgene-derived resistance to the pathogen Maize-Streak-Virus (MSV). They also claimed to have developed the first maize with transgenic MSV resistance, heralding the first all-African produced genetically modified crop plant.[i] […]
9 November 2009
Response from the AU Commission Biosafety Unit to Briefing no. 9
In July 2009 The African Union Biosafety Unit communicated their concerns about the ACB’s briefing no.9, their letter can be viewed here. The original briefing can be viewed at here, The ACB’s response is titled On-going concerns about harmonisation of biosafety regulations in Africa, November 2009.
15 May 2009
Africa’s Green Revolution rolls out the Gene Revolution
The ‘New Green Revolution in Africa’, touted since the 1990s, was given renewed impetus two and a half years ago, when the Rockefeller and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations launched the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Although AGRA itself does not incorporate genetically modified (GM) crops in its projects, the ominous presence […]
28 January 2009
Final Petition anti GM Potatoes
South Africa’s Agriculture and Research Council (ARC) has announced their intention to apply to the SA government for permission to make GM potatoes commercially available.
14 January 2009
South African government non-compliance with national and international law on access to information
Take Action! Write to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry demanding access to information on GMOs On 14th January 2009 the African Centre for Biosafety wrote to the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Lulama Xingwama, alerting her to the fact that South Africa is not complying to an important provision in the Cartagena […]
22 August 2008
Letter from McDonalds Restaurant re GM Potatoes
Allegedly, McDonald’s is committed to providing quality food to our customers and source our products and ingredients from the best suppliers locally and globally. In South Africa, their potatoes are sourced from McCain Foods and so we asked their Managing Director, Mr Owen Porteus, to provide us with full clarification on the use of GMO […]
11 February 2008
ACB’s Comments on Liability & Redress in preparation of the Adhoc Open Ended meeting i...
The African Centre for Biosafety is grateful to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) for the opportunity to make these written comments, and later this month, (29th February 2008), oral submissions, with respect to the South African government’s draft operational text on liability and redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on […]
14 August 2007
ACB’s Comments on Kenya’s June 2007 Biosafety Bill, August 2007
Kenya’s Biosafety Bill is drafted as an enabling statute and will require the promulgation of numerous regulations in order to bring it into effect. It’s fundamental nature is one of a lenient permitting system as opposed to a biosafety regime intention regulating genetically modified organisms within a context of caution. Read here.