Latest Resources
8 February 2007
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 […]
4 November 2006
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 […]
14 October 2006
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 […]
27 June 2006
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 […]
7 February 2006
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 […]
28 January 2006
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 […]
28 January 2006
The Long, winding road to a Biosafety Protocol – a South African view
At the negotiations for the Biosafety Protocol in Cartagena, the South Africa government surprised critics by displaying a maturity and understanding of the issues and concerns facing developing countries on the question of genetically engineered organisms. This in spite of attempts by the ‘Miami group’, a negotiating group representing the largest producer nations of biotechnology, […]
25 January 2005
Dow Agrosciences field trials of GM maize blocked
The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has today learned that its objections, launched exactly 7 months ago, strenuously resisting DOW Agrosciencs application to field test its GM maize event TC 1507, have been successful. Read more here.
7 August 2004
Monsanto Nk603 X Mon863x Mon810
Objection To The Application By Monsanto For Commodity Clearance Of Its GM Maize Varieties Nk603 X Mon863x Mon810 to The National Department Of Agriculture, South Africa prepared by the African Centre For Biosafety. Read here. SUPPORTED BY: Bishop Geoff, Southern African Faith Communities’ Environmental Institute; South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering; Earthlife Africa Ethekwini […]
27 July 2004
SA biosafety regulators in bed with industry on GM potatoes?
The South African government has approved a United States funded project that will soon see genetically engineered potatoes sprouting in six secret locations in African soil. Similar potatoes were first grown in the United States but were withdrawn from the market due to consumer resistance. Read more.