Latest Resources

26 July 2019

Gene Drive Organisms in Africa: Civil Society Speaks Out

On Monday 1st July 2019, Target Malaria announced the release of 6400 genetically modified (GM) sterile male mosquitoes in Bana, a village in Burkina Faso – the first GM insects to be released in Africa. This is Phase I – by Phase III, Target Malaria aims to release gene drive mosquitoes. Gene drives are based […]

8 July 2019

Seed and gene banks play a critical role in conserving and sharing indigenous crop seeds

On a trip to Harare for partnership exploration meetings, the African Centre for Biodiversity visited the Genetic Resources and Biotechnology Institute of Zimbabwe. Gene banks such as these are primarily established to conserve the genetic resources that form the basis for all food production. Seed collections start at the level of community seed banks and […]

5 July 2019

Post Cyclone Idai: Farming practices for resilience to withstand extreme weather events

Ranked as one of the worst tropical storms to hit Africa, Cyclone Idai made landfall in central Mozambique on 15 March, before moving on to Malawi and Zimbabwe. The district of Chimanimani in Zimbabwe was one of the worst-hit areas. On a recent trip to Zimbabwe, ACB spoke to representatives of three organisations that work […]

2 July 2019

Civil Society Denounces the Release of GM mosquitoes in Burkina Faso

We, the undersigned civil society organisations from Africa and around the world, denounce the release of genetically modified (GM) “male-sterile” mosquitoes in Burkina Faso. The GM mosquitoes were released in the village of Bana on 1 July 2019 by the Target Malaria research consortium.[i] The open release is intended to test the infrastructure and systems […]

29 May 2019

ACB’s Commentary on An Africa-Europe Agenda for Rural Transformation: Report by the Task Force Ru...

The European Union (EU) is in the process of defining a new set of priorities in the African agricultural and food sectors, through the proposed implementation of the EU-Africa Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs. Their Task Force for Rural Africa published a report with draft recommendations, which is oriented towards promoting the capitalist transformation […]

23 May 2019

ACB’s Objection to Monsanto’s Application for Commodity Import of GM maize for a number of events...

ACB’s Objection to Monsanto’s Application for Commodity Import of GM maize for a number of events: herbicide tolerance, including for dicamba, as well as pest resistance – MON 87427 x MON 89034 x MIR 162 x MON87419; MON 87427 x MON 89034 x MON810 x MIR 162 x MON 87411 x MON 87419; and MON […]

23 April 2019

South Africa’s new seed and PVP Acts undermine farmers’ rights and entrench corporate capture, co...

Press Release from the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) 23 April 2019, Johannesburg, South Africa The highly problematic new Plant Improvement Act 2018 (PIA) and Plant Breeder’s Rights Act 2018 (PBR), approved by Parliament last year, have been signed into law this March by the President, replacing the 1976 versions. Regulations are currently being drafted […]

17 April 2019

Objection against general release of three 2,4-D GM maize varieties

Objection against general release of three 2,4-D GM maize varieties: 1. Corteva’s 2,4-D herbicide tolerant maize: DAS-40278-9 2. Corteva’s Stacked 2,4-D and glyphosate herbicide tolerant maize: NK603 x DAS-40278-9 3. Corteva’s Stacked 2,4-D, glyphosate and glufosinate herbicide tolerant, and Bt insecticidal maize: MON89034 x TC1507 x NK603 x DAS-40278-9 The objection is in relation to […]

16 April 2019

Agroecology as an alternative (Video four of a four-part series)

In August 2018, the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) hosted a speak-out for SADC smallholder farmers in Windhoek, Namibia, on Farm Input Subsidy Programmes (FISPs). FISPs are government agricultural programmes that promote Green Revolution inputs produced by multinational corporations, such as chemical fertilizers. In Ghana, for example, up to […]

20 March 2019

Alternatives to FISP: Farm Input Subsidy Programmes in Africa

In August 2018, the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) and the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) hosted a speak-out for SADC smallholder farmers in Windhoek, Namibia, on Farm Input Subsidy Programmes (FISPs). FISPs are government agricultural programmes that promote the use of Green Revolution inputs produced by multinational corporations. These top-down packages have proven to be […]