Latest Resources

South African GMO Biohazard Maps

GMO trials in South Africa in 2007: Who is doing what and where? Questions around GMO field trials in South Africa continue to be asked, “Where exactly are they happening, when will there be adequate environmental risk assessment and post-release monitoring, what are the effects on neighbours of GMO field trials and what are the […]

SNAPSHOT: South Africa facing a tsunami of risky GMOs

The African Centre for Biosafety has closely monitored GMO approvals in South Africa for several years. Several far-reaching changes are currently taking place. A wave of new GMOs are expected to flood the South African market during 2009, as the backlog of commodity import permits that have been stalled since 2005, are about to be […]

Case Study: South Africa’s Traceability and Segregation systems for GM Grains

During 13-17 March 2006, the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol Biosafety (‘Biosafety Protocol’) will try, after several previous unsuccessful attempts, to craft minimum standards for a global segregation, traceability and accountability system to apply to the cross border movement of bulk shipments of genetically modified (GM) grain. The mechanisms of such a system will depend […]

GMOs in South Africa – 2008 Overviews

From January 2007 to July 2008 the GMO Executive Council, the governmental body responsible for granting GMO permits in South Africa, granted a staggering 425 new permits for import, export, commodity clearance and general and trial release. The vast majority of these permits were for commodity imports of GM maize from Argentina for use in […]

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.

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 […]

“Knowledge not for Sale” – A Briefing Paper by the African Centre for Biosafety

The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) is a non-profit, activist NGO based in South Africa, specialising in promoting biosafety and challenging biopiracy, agrofuels and the commodification of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. Read more here.

Hot potato in South Africa

GM potatoes in South Africa: a critical analysis, is an ACB publication written by Vanessa Black. Read here.

The Geopolitics of Agrofuels

OPENING PANDORA’S BOX: GMOS, FUELISH PARADIGMS AND SOUTH AFRICA’s BIOFUELS STRATEGY. Read here.

Displacing Africa’s Indigenous Food: Monsanto & AATF’s GM Cowpea Project

Nairobi based African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and Monsanto are set to introduce genetically engineered cowpeas in the coming years into the fields and tables of Africa. It will use Nigeria and Burkina Faso as key entry points, with Ghana, Cameroon, Niger and Mali comprising the second tier of countries that will be targeted. The […]