Latest Resources

18 August 2020

Registration of farmers’ varieties in SADC

Key Issues emerging from the dialogue between CSOs and SADC, African governments August 2020 The registration of farmer varieties is a controversial issue. On the one hand, it is argued that registration facilitates accessible opportunities and benefits for local farmers, such as increasing visibility of varieties, promotion and protection of indigenous knowledge, and opportunities for […]

22 July 2020

Global Network for the Right to Food and Nutrition Report

Coming on the heels of the publication of the UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI) report presenting the global hunger and food insecurity figures, the Global Network for the Right to Food and Nutrition (GNRtFN) releases its 2020 State of the Right to Food and Nutrition Report, which the ACB supports. Here is […]

16 August 2019

Africa must ban glyphosate now!

Thank you for supporting our continental campaign to ban glyphosate The deadline for signing on to the petition was Friday, 30 August, 2019. In the next phase of the campaign, many organisations around the continent are sending letters to their governments calling for a ban. In this paper we explain why. Globally, glyphosate and glyphosate-based […]

27 May 2019

Securing equitable farmer support and the transition from the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Zambia

We are pleased to share with you this discussion paper, co-published by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity (ZAAB). In Zambia, as in many other African countries, decisions related to food production and consumption increasingly lie outside the control of those responsible and accountable for food and […]

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 […]

15 May 2019

Input Subsidies in Mozambique: the future of peasant farmers and their seed systems

In this report, the African Centre for Biodiversity outlines and assesses input subsidy programmes in Mozambique, as part of the larger agriculture policy landscape, and the impact this has had on the agricultural sector, particularly on smallholder farmers. In Mozambique, peasant farmers feed the country mostly using their own seed. Yet the majority of (donor-funded) […]

26 April 2019

Undermining farmers’ rights and seed systems: Why the EAC seed and plant varieties bill must be d...

In this vlog, African Centre for Biodiversity’s (ACB’s) Sabrina Masinjila, based in Tanzania, speaks about the East African Community Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, 2018 and some of the concerns related to the Bill, as more fully set out in a detailed report and summary. As described in the vlog and our detailed report, Concerns […]

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 […]

8 April 2019

Production quality controls in farmer seed systems in Africa

This ACB report explores issues relating to farmers’ independent seed development, production and distribution. Drawing from innovative case studies in Brazil, East Africa and elsewhere, suggestions are presented to strengthen farmer quality control practices. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 65% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, producing around 80% of food consumed. […]

5 October 2018

The future of smallholder farmer support in Tanzania: Where to after the National Agricultural In...

A publication by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) titled The Future of smallholder farmer support in Tanzania: Where to after the National Agricultural Input Voucher System (NAIVS)? discusses farm input subsidies in Tanzania and their impacts on smallholder farmers. The report examines the history of farm input subsidy programmes (FISPs) in the country, with […]