Latest Resources
17 April 2010
Scottish Parliament Motion on GM entry refusal, Kenya, South Africa
*S3M-6119 Bill Wilson: Biodiversity Coalition Opposes GM Contamination. That the Parliament notes reports that 40,000 tons of genetically modified (GM) maize from South Africa have been refused entry to Kenya as a result of protests led by the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition. Further notes, with reference to motion S3M-05873 by Bill Wilson ‘Who Benefits from GM […]
12 March 2010
Support our appeal to the minister for Environmental Impact Assessment of GM maize GA21
On the13th of December 2009, Syngenta published a public notice of their intent to apply to the GMO Registrar for a permit for the general release of genetically modified maize, GA21. Having obtained a ‘non-confidential-business-information’ version of Syngenta’s application, it is our contention that the application cannot be adequately assessed. The information provided is sketchy […]
7 February 2010
A profile of Monsanto in South Africa
Monsanto is a globally dominant company in the agrochemical, seed and agricultural biotechnology sector. It has been active in the agrochemicals market in South Africa since 1968, and now owns almost all traits used in the South African GM crop market. Thanks to the purchase of local seed companies, Sensako and Carnia, in the late […]
7 February 2010
Bilateral biosafety bullies: How corporations use bilateral trade channels to weaken biotech regu...
Across the world, the use of bilateral trade instruments to prise open markets for genetically modified (GM) crops is escalating. To expand business overseas, the biotech industry needs stronger intellectual property rules and weaker biosafety standards. Bilateral trade deals are an effective way to do this. This report looks specifically at how the world’s grain […]
5 January 2010
Status of de facto moratorium on GM commodity clearance/import applications in SA
The South African government has granted a large number of commodity import permits over the years, enabling millions of tons of GM maize, soya and canola to be imported into South Africa. However, during September/October 2005, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), a member of the Executive Council (EC): GMO Act, raised several concerns […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
7 August 2009
South African GM grapevine trials to go ahead
The South African authorities have given the go-ahead to the Institute of wine biotechnology, based at the University of Stellenbosch, to conduct open-air field trials of grapevines genetically modified to resist fungal disease, despite the failure of fungal resistant grapevines in German trials seven years ago. Read more here.
26 March 2009
Genes from Africa: the Colonisation of Human DNA
Indigenous people’s groups and NGOs have waged a long and bitter struggle against the Human Genome Diversity Project and similar efforts to collect the DNA of indigenous and other peoples without appropriate consent and sufficient safeguards against abuse. The Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), the brainchild of Italian geneticist Luca Cavalli-Sforza, comprised of a group […]