Latest Resources
14 July 2017
Call to action: make your submissions to oppose corporate seed Bills and save our seeds
The Plant Breeders’ Rights and Plant Improvement Bills restrict the saving, trading, exchanging, and sale of seed. This can have massive ramifications on seed and food sovereignty, agricultural biodiversity, access to diverse seed, and increasing the disparities and inequalities in South African agriculture, food and nutrition. We urgently need to protect and preserve our food […]
25 May 2017
War Chemical 2,4 D GM maize in SA: in the fields and coming to our plates soon
Press Release from the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) and the Commercial & the Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU) Thursday, 25 May 2017 The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has published a briefing paper today titled, ‘South Africa and 2,4 D GM maize: Biosafety, Socio economic […]
9 May 2017
South Africa’s Competition Commission gives conditional approval for Bayer-Monsanto merger
In December 2016 Monsanto shareholders voted in favour of the sale of the company to Bayer for US$66 billion, making it the largest-ever foreign corporate takeover by a German company. The deal requires approval from about 30 regulatory agencies around the world. The Competition Commission of South Africa (CCSA) was the first to be officially […]
25 April 2017
Profits, power and myth making: Monsanto’s ‘bogus’ GM drought tolerant maize challenged in South ...
The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has lodged an appeal to the High Court of South Africa to overturn decisions of the GMO authority, the GMO Appeal Board and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to commercialise Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) drought-tolerant (DT) maize seed. More than 25 000 concerned citizens have signed petitions […]
13 February 2017
Bayer-Monsanto merger: An existential threat to South Africa’s food system
In December 2016 Monsanto shareholders voted in favour of the sale of the company to Bayer for US$66 billion, making it the largest-ever foreign corporate takeover by a German company. Both Bayer and Monsanto are major global manufacturers of agrochemicals and seeds, including genetically modified seed. A merged entity would be the world’s largest supplier […]
30 November 2016
African Civil Society and farmer representatives blocked from ARIPO deliberations on regional see...
The authoritarian nature of the African Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) Secretariat and its undemocratic processes are scandalous and unacceptable. Locking African farmer representatives and civil society out in order to allow unfettered draconian regional law making is deeply disturbing. What is at play here is entrenching an agricultural future for smallholder farmers in the 19 […]
22 June 2016
ACB’s Objection to Monsanto’s application for an extension permit of drought tolerant GM Maize hy...
Supported by: More than 25 000 people who signed a Care2 “#VoteNoToGMO!” Petition. We Say No to Monsanto Petition by 25 000 people who signed a Care2 “#VoteNoToGMO!” Petition.
22 June 2016
Unprecedented opposition to Monsanto’s GM trials in SA: Enough is enough!!
Joint Press Release: African Centre for Biodiversity, NO GMO SA, March Against Monsanto SA and South African Food Sovereignty Campaign Johannesburg, South Africa 22nd June 2016 More than 25 000 people have signed a petition opposing Monsanto’s GMO field trials and in support of Objections submitted today by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) to […]
11 November 2015
#GlyphosateMustFall
The South African government needs to ban the use of glyphosate in our food system with immediate effect. Glyphosate (most commonly known as RoundUp) is the most widely used herbicide in South Africa and its use has increased dramatically since the introduction of genetically modified maize, soya and cotton that has been engineered to survive […]
16 September 2015
Appeal Board rejects GM potatoes for South Africa
The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) welcomes the recent decision made by the Minister of Agriculture, Water Affairs and Fisheries and an Appeal Board rejecting the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) potatoes in South Africa. The ACB with the support of the South African public, vigorously campaigned over a number of years against the Agricultural […]