Latest Resources
8 November 2023
Ultra-processed food in Africa
Implications for just agroecological transitions of food and agriculture systems A series by the African Centre for Biodiversity Fact sheet 2 is now released! In this series focusing on ultra-processed food (UPF) on the African continent, we explore the impacts of shifting dietary patterns, with increasing reliance on low-cost, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) globally, and in […]
28 September 2023
Just transition and adaptation in the food system: national policy dialogue
The National policy dialogue on a just transition and adaptation in the food system took place in Ekurhuleni, from 20-22 September. Organisations representing the labour movement, smallholder farmers, farm workers, labour tenants, informal traders, waste reclaimers, food and land justice organisations, civil society, and policymakers came together to discuss building a coordinated understanding and policy […]
19 September 2023
Financialisation, dematerialisation, digitalisation & distancing of Africa’s agriculture
What future for small-scale farmers and their food and seed systems? Following on from part one, The rise of digital agriculture and dispossession in Africa: implications for smallholder farmers, part two looks at how private-sector interests and motives are driving the financialisation of Africa’s food and farming systems. Financialisation is the focus on generation of […]
30 August 2023
The rise of digital agriculture and dispossession in Africa: implications for smallholder farmers
In part one in a series of two, consisting of a briefing paper and linked fact sheet, we explore the current status of digital agriculture in Africa and the potential implications its deployment has for smallholder farmers on the continent. We outline three primary areas of concern related to potential inequitable benefits and influence accrued from its deployment; […]
13 August 2018
Farm input subsidy programme (FISP) info pamphlet
This pamphlet offers a quick background on the FISPs and the key issues and concerns. It explains what FISPs are, their aims, why the FISPs are failing to meet their objectives, how they promote small-scale farmer dependency, and ways of transitioning out of FISPs towards more appropriate forms of smallholder farmer support. African Centre for […]
18 May 2017
FISPs Posters
Farm input subsidy programs play a central role in financing and delivering Green Revolution technologies to small-scale farmers in Africa.These programs are rolled out in numerous African countries-from Ghana to Swaziland. These easy to read illustrated posters explain what farm input subsidy programs are and how they operate vis-à-vis smallholder farmers, what they subsidise, how […]
5 May 2017
What is a seed law?
Training Materials produced by the ACB for smallholder farmers in Africa in several languages on a range of topics dealing with seed and plant variety protection laws, including on: The value of farmer-managed seed systems; UPOV 1991 and farmers’ rights; the Arusha PVP Protocol; women as custodians of seed, what is a seed law, harmonisation […]
6 July 2010
Call on South Africans to Back Labelling of GM Foods
South Africa’s food shelves are stocked with hundreds of products that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). These are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The list includes: South Africa’s Consumer Protection Act (CPA) creates an opportunity for the mandatory labelling of foodstuffs which contain or are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). […]