Latest Resources

Unmasking the New Green revolution in Africa

Unmasking the New Green Revolution in Africa: Motives, Players and Dynamics By Elenita C. Dano Publisher: Third World Network (TWN), Church Development Service (EED) and the African Centre for Biosafety ABOUT THE BOOK Efforts are currently underway to spark a ‘New Green Revolution’ in African agriculture. Modelled on the original Green Revolution which began in […]

African Model Law on Safety in Biotechnology

African Model Law on Safety in Biotechnology 2007 Read briefing here.

SA Rejects GM bulbs & flowers

Failed Application for Contained Use of Genetically Modified flowers and bulbs involving Ornithogalum dubium x thyrsoides Line A2 The South African GMO Authority, the Executive Council (EC), established under the GMO Act has refused the first ever application for experimentation of GM bulbs and flowers outside a laboratory facility. Read here.

Thumbs down for GM Mosquitocide

The Executive Council acting under the Genetically Modified Organisms Act has rejected out of hand, an application by Biological Control Products SA (Pty) Ltd, to test in open water sources, a genetically modified mosquitocide. The mosquitocide has been genetically engineered to destroy mosquito larvae. Read here.

Regulation of GMOs in South Africa

The ACB has been motivated to write this paper by the coming into effect on the 17th April 2007, of the Genetically Modified Organisms Amendment Act (No. 23 of 2006). (ii) This amends the Genetically Modified Organisms Act No. 15 of 1997 (‘GMO Act’), 10 years after it became part of the body of post-apartheid […]

GM Crops for Africa? No Thanks!

“Most African countries, like many other poor countries cannot advance GM crop research because their national policies or regulatory systems are not prepared to deal with safety requirement for approving general use.” Joel Cohen of the International Food Policy Research Institute based in Washington DC was reported to have said. Read here.

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 […]

Monsanto’s “Seed of Hope Campaign” in South Africa: A Briefing document, Januar...

Monsanto has conceived of an ingenious smallholders’ programme known as the ‘Seeds of Hope Campaign’, which targets the ‘bottom of the pyramid’-very low-income consumers who have substantial purchasing power as a group. Closed markets in Europe, worldwide consumer rejection, heated international debates about the risks of GMOs, and the intransigence of Africa, sans, South Africa, […]

Regulation of GMOs in South Africa: details & short comings

The ACB has been motivated to write this paper by the coming into effect on the 17th April 2007, of the Genetically Modified Organisms Amendment Act (No. 23 of 2006). (ii) This amends the Genetically Modified Organisms Act No. 15 of 1997 (‘GMO Act’), 10 years after it became part of the body of post-apartheid […]

Trojan Horse for GMOs

After more than 10 years of genetically modified (GM) crop plants being grown in the world, only South Africa out of 53 countries on the African continent have commercial plantings of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Nine countries: Burkina Faso; Egypt; Kenya; Morocco; Senegal; South Africa; Tanzania; Zambia; and Zimbabwe have reported field trials of GMOs, […]