JOINT NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY AGBIZ, SANSOR AND CROPLIFE SA ON THE INDUSTRY APPEAL LODGED AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA’S REGULATORY APPROACH TO CLASSIFY AND REGULATE ALL NEW BREEDING TECHNIQUES (NBTs) UNDER THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS ACT 15 OF 1997
In October 2021, the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) announced that a diverse and evolving group of products derived from new breeding technologies (NBTs) will be evaluated under the risk assessment framework that exists for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) under the Genetically Modified Organisms Act, 1997 (Act 15 of 1997, […]
Food Loss and Food Waste – How Plant Biotech is Making a Difference
By Chantel Arendse (Lead: Plant Biotechnology) It is disturbing to know that each year one third of all the food produced globally is either lost or wasted. And this food waste is costing us more than just food. Not only is this an economic loss, but also a waste of all the resources that went […]
Act No. 36 of 1947: Is it Still Relevant After 74 Years?
By Henk van der Westhuizen – CropLife SA ExCo Member (Philagro) On June 5th, 1948, the Department of Agriculture became the custodian of the “Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Seeds and Remedies Act” that was published in Government Gazette number 3977. The Act was applicable from July 1st, 1948. The purpose of the Act was to regulate […]
Part 4: The Wonders and Beauty of Chemistry…And the BS
In this 4-part series, renowned toxicologist and organic chemist dr. Gerhard Verdoorn takes us on a journey to illustrate some of the fundamentals of chemistry. In doing so, the widely misunderstood subject of what makes a product toxic as well as organic versus synthetic chemistry will be explored and explained with the help of practical […]
The Crop Circular – Issue 11
In this issue of the Crop Circular, we cover topics such as whether Act No. 36 of 1947 is still relevant after 74 years, how plant biotech is making a difference in food loss and waste, as well as pesticide behaviour in soil, including adsorption, mobility and leachability. Click here to download a copy or here to read it […]
The Threat of Unregistered Plant Protection Products
Dr Gerhard Verdoorn Operations and Stewardship Manager Humankind is slowly moving towards greener living which should be more compatible with the natural environment. Fossil fuels are being frowned upon, agricultural production by conventional methods is no longer the flavour of the month and pressure is mounting against “chemicals”, while very few people realise that the […]
The Role of Biotech Crops to Address Food Security
Chantel Arendse Lead: Plant Biotechnology Feeding the world sustainably continues to be a mammoth task. The expectation is that global food production will need to rapidly accelerate to produce 70% more food (FAO) by 2050 to feed the estimated population of then 9 billion people. To meet these pressing food security needs, producers will have […]
The Crop Circular – Issue 9
In this issue of the Crop Circular, we cover topics such as the role of biotech crops to address food security, the threat of unregistered plant protection products and the basics of managing fungicide resistance. Click here to download a copy or here to read it online. We would love to hear from you, so […]
The Crop Circular – Issue 8
In this issue of the Crop Circular, we cover topics such as the safety of farm workers handling pesticides, how the industry is collaborating to ensure pollinator safety, and how biotechnology complements IPM programmes for sustainable agriculture. Click here to download a copy or here to read it online. We would love to hear from […]
Part 3 – The Wonders and Beauty of Chemistry… And the BS
In this 4-part series, renowned toxicologist and organic chemist dr. Gerhard Verdoorn takes us on a journey to illustrate some of the fundamentals of chemistry. In doing so, the widely misunderstood subject of what makes a product toxic as well as organic versus synthetic chemistry will be explored and explained with the help of practical […]