Latest Resources
24 March 2011
GM cotton in SA
The biotechnology industry has really tried to win small-scale farmers over to genetically modified (GM) cotton, especially in Africa and Asia. Getting cotton approved in a country is a good way for the industry to pave the way for the entry of GM food crops. It is estimated that farmers around the globe planted about […]
24 March 2011
GM maize in SA
Genetically modified (GM) maize is big business globally. In 2011, farmers grew about 51 million hectares of GM maize. Most of this production happened in the United States where the majority of GM crops are being grown. There are just four major GM crops grown in the world today and maize and soya make up […]
24 March 2011
GM soya in SA
It might surprise you to learn that there are very few kinds of GM crops growing in the world today – the four major crops are soya, maize, cotton and canola. The most commonly grown GM crop is soya – it makes up almost half of all GM crops grown around the world. This soya […]
24 March 2011
International regulation of GMOs
Genetic engineering (GE), also called genetic modification (GM), is not just a modern version of the natural breeding that we know and have practised for many thousands of years. It is a new and totally artificial way of creating living organisms that can never occur in nature. These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have a life […]
24 March 2011
Flawed Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act
It was only in 1999, after much pressure from civil society groups, that the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Act of 1997 came into force. At that early stage, few people had expertise on GMOs and civil society was only starting to learn about the issues. Therefore, government relied on experts from the biotechnology industry to […]
24 March 2011
Monsanto – from chemical producer to food producer
Monsanto is one of the most powerful players in the global seed business today. Not only does it own a huge portion of the world’s commercial seed, but it also wields a lot of power over global agricultural policy and practice. How did a company that started out by making chemicals for warfare, gain control […]
24 March 2011
What is a GM crop?
Genetically modified (GM) seeds have been created in a laboratory. The process of creating them is completely new and does not happen in nature. Since farming began people have worked with nature to breed plants and animals to suit human needs. Usually this breeding can only happen within the same ‘species’ or family. For example, […]
24 March 2011
Debunking GM myths
The biotechnology industry has spread many myths about what GMOs can do. These are not based on fact and have been shown to be false in reality. Myths we often hear include: GMOs decrease pesticide use; they have massively increased yield potential; and have been thoroughly tested for safety. GM crops are not the norm. […]
31 January 2011
SANBI STUDY RAISES ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WITH GMOS
The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), tasked by law, with monitoring the impacts of GMOs on the environment, has released its first report on 28th January 2011. The report co-produced by SANBI with premier biosafety unit, Genok in Norway and a number of South African universities record the findings of a three-year study on […]
20 January 2011
Label GM Food: Our Right to Know
Issued by ACB/SAFEAGE Attention: News Editors For Immediate Release Tuesday, 18 January 2011 The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) and the South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering (SAFEAGE) have launched a nation-wide ‘Label GM Food: Our Right to Know’ campaign, to encourage the government to provide meaningful labelling for all genetically-modified (GM) foods in […]