Latest Resources

Industry employing bullying tactics to scupper GM food labelling in South Africa

GM-Labeling-zebraThe Biotech industry continues to stall the implementation of a GMO labelling regime, claiming that only a “lunatic fringe” or a “European funded lobby” want it, despite government’s clear intentions in the Consumer Protection Act to grant the consumer’s right to know and to choose. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has re-opened the […]

Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa: Media briefing – AFSA appeals to ARIPO, AU and UNE...

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), a Pan African platform comprising civil society networks and farmer organisations working towards food sovereignty in Africa, has today lodged an urgent appeal to the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to urgently revise the draft ARIPO […]

AFSA strongly condemns sleight of hand moves by ARIPO to join UPOV 1991, bypass national laws and...

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) [1] strongly condemns the move by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) to join UPOV 1991, which will effectively outlaw the centuries-old African farmers’ practice of freely using, exchanging and selling seeds/propagating material. These practices underpin 90% of the agricultural system within the ARIPO region. [2] […]

Ruling of the ASA Directorate

In the matter between: Mariam Mayet on behalf of the African Centre for Biosafety – First Complainant Judith Taylor – Second Complainant and Monsanto South Africa (Pty) Ltd. – Respondant Consumer complaints were lodged against a radio commercial for Monsanto genetically modified crops, the live-read states as follows: 8 billion people by 2025. How will […]

MONSANTO FORCED TO WITHDRAW UNSUBSTANTIATED ADVERTISING CLAIMS ON BENEFITS OF GM CROPS-ADVERTISIN...

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of South Africa has today ordered Monsanto to withdraw its advertisement on Radio 702 with immediate effect, wherein Monsanto claims the benefits of GM crops. According to ASA, Monsanto’s claims were found to be unsubstantiated. The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) lodged a complaint to the ASA following an advertisement […]

GM Maize Cartels Gorge Profits on SA’s Poor, Eye African Markets

The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has today released its new research report titled ‘GM Maize: Lessons For Africa-Cartels, Collusion And Control Of South Africa’s Staple Food’ showing how a select group of companies, including Tiger Brands, Pioneer and Premier Foods who have previously fixed the price of bread and maize meal, commandeer the entire […]

Monsanto’s failed SA GM Maize pushed into rest of Africa

Today the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) released a new report ‘Africa bullied to grow defective Bt Maize: the failure of Monsanto’s MON810 maize in South Africa’ [i], showing how Monsanto’s GM maize, which utterly failed in SA, is now being foisted on the rest of the continent, through ‘sleight of hand’. Independent scientists have […]

FOOD FASCISM IN SOUTH AFRICA: TIGER BRANDS, PIONEER AND PREMIER FORCE FEEDING THE NATION RISKY GM...

The ACB has today, released test results on the most extensively consumed maize brands in South Africa, which indicate that the entire maize supply is utterly saturated with GM maize. ‘The majority of South Africans are not only eating GM maize without their knowledge and consent but have no choice or alternative whatsoever even if […]

Call for Parliamentary hearing on GMOs

Call for urgent Parliamentary hearing on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and transparent review of risk assessment procedures and public participation in GMO decision making To Mr. Mlungisi Lulu Johnson Chair: Portfolio Committee on Agriculture Parliament of South Africa Dear Honourable Mr Johnson, Recent events, such as the nationwide protests against Monsanto and consumer outrage over […]

Do African Farmers Need CAADP?

The Peoples’ Dialogue and the Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) have written a short booklet on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the African Union’s framework for agricultural development for Africa, titled “Do African Farmers Need CAADP?” The objective is to summarise and simplify information on CAADP so as to, collectively, create […]