Latest Resources
17 November 2009
Ongoing Concerns about Harmonisation of Biosafety Regulations in Africa
The paper is a response to concerns raised by the African Union’s Biosafety Unit about assertions made in an earlier briefing in June 2009 regarding the African Union’s biosafety harmonisation processes. In this briefing the Ms Swanby on behalf of the ACB salutes the initiatives taken by the AU in the biosafety discourse on the […]
9 November 2009
Response from the AU Commission Biosafety Unit to Briefing no. 9
In July 2009 The African Union Biosafety Unit communicated their concerns about the ACB’s briefing no.9, their letter can be viewed here. The original briefing can be viewed at here, The ACB’s response is titled On-going concerns about harmonisation of biosafety regulations in Africa, November 2009.
15 October 2009
South African Govt rejects GM potato
In a damning and ground breaking ruling, South Africa’s GM body, the Executive Council (EC), has rejected attempts by the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) to bring GM potatoes to the South African market. The EC cited no less than 11 biosafety and socio economic and agronomic concerns for rejecting ARC’s commercial release application. These support […]
29 September 2009
GM climate craze seizes African food
Media Release by the African Centre for Biosafety Johannesburg 1 October 2009 The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has today released a report exposing the patents and players involved in appropriating key African food crops to produce genetically modified (GM) climate crops. According to the report, biotechnology is being used to identify ?climate genes? in […]
25 September 2009
Africa is heading for an ecological disaster
Genetically Modified (GM) crops, already used extensively in South Africa, are being promoted by the biotech industry through their philanthropic conduits such as the Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet foundations as the principle solution to food insecurity in Africa. The industrialistion of African agriculture that this would entail is more likely to exacerbate […]
11 September 2009
African heritage crops threatened by South African GMO decision
An Appeal Board established by the Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture has overturned a landmark decision by a South African GMO authority on 15 June 2006, to refuse the experimentation of sorghum, a prized African heritage crop. The Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), has now been given the go-ahead to proceed with the […]
8 September 2009
Biotechnology, seed and agrochemicals: Global and South African industry structure and trends
Biotechnology, seed and agrochemicals global and South African industry structure and trends. Click here to read the publication.
12 August 2009
Watchdog lodges Complaint against South African govt for breaking international GMO Treaty
Press release: African Centre for Biosafety 12 August 2009 The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) is a South African NGO deeply concerned with biosafety in South Africa and on the African continent. It campaigns against GMOs in food and agriculture. The ACB has today lodged a complaint to the Compliance Committee established under an international […]
10 August 2009
Pirating African heritage: the pillaging continues
The cases of suspected biopiracy are summarised and discussed in a few paragraphs. Patent numbers and/or application numbers are provided for each, as well as contact information for the entity or entities that have lodged the patent claims. Using the provided data, the full patent (application) text can be accessed online at patent websites, such […]
10 August 2009
Pirating African heritage: the pillaging continues – Media release
The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB), a non- profit activist organization based in South Africa, has today released a report documenting 7 new cases of suspected biopiracy involving legally untenable patents/patent applications. Some patents have already been granted and others are still pending in Europe and the USA in respect of African resources ranging from […]