Hearing for Syngenta GMO Corn Seed Lawsuit Consolidation Scheduled for December
Agrochemicals company Syngenta, makers of Viptera and other types of genetically-modified corn sold to US farmers, faces several GMO Corn Seed lawsuits that may soon be consolidated into one large class action.
Syngenta so far faces 50 different lawsuits in 11 major corn-growing states, including South Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska. While it is likely that the lawsuits will be consolidated in Illinois or Iowa, a federal court panel will meet in Charleston, South Carolina on December 4th to decide whether to consolidate the class action or not.
Syngenta produced GMO MIR162, the primary modified gene in the Viptera seeds, and introduced it to US farmers in 2009. A second generation was developed and sold this year as Duracade. The gene was developed to help protect the corn from insects and tolerate herbicides, as well as allow it to grow with less water. MIR162 was approved for use and consumption in the US and several other countries, but China has continually refused to approve even trace amounts of GMO corn. China discovered the gene in millions of bushels of corn in November 2013 and rejected the shipment. China also rejected corn shipments in February of this year. So far, the country has rejected 130 million bushels as of the end of October.
US corn farmers allege that the introduction of MIR162 and decreasing Chinese corn purchases are linked, resulting in the loss of at least $1 billion in revenue.
Syngenta was, according to farmers, negligent in placing the product on the US market. The South Carolina Syngenta corn lawsuits further contend that Syngenta made false statements regarding the likelihood that China and other major corn purchasers would approve the product soon.
“The loss of a large purchaser of U.S. corn like China as a result of the Viptera contamination has had a sudden and calamitous impact the U.S. corn market,” Iowa farmer Ward Graham, 47, says in his lawsuit. Graham 700 acre farm is considered small compared to other corn and soybean farms, but he says he has still suffered serious economic loss because of the Syngenta corn rejection. He hopes that his, and other lawsuits when consolidated, will set a new precedent, “that makes it mandatory that they get approval for exports and trade overseas before they release this stuff out to the farmer and put it in the food chain.”
“Syngenta believes that the lawsuits are without merit and strongly upholds the right of growers to have access to approved new technologies that can increase both their productivity and their profitability,” Syngenta spokesman Paul Minehart said in a statement.
The Strom Law Firm Is Investigating Farmers’ Claims Regarding Syngenta Corn
If you or someone you love grew, harvested, and sold non- MIR 162 corn on a commercial basis, or if you received revenue from non-MIR 162 corn under a crop-share arrangement from November 2013 to now, you may be eligible to participate in a class action seeking to recover compensation for lost profits. Syngenta GMO Corn Seed Lawsuit. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC offer a free consultation and flexible appointment times. Do not wait until it’s too late. Contact us today. 803.252.4800
