New York Environmental Litigation Attorneys

Syngenta: Corn Catastrophe for US Farmers

In 2016, Kansas U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the lawsuits filed against Syngenta, one of the world’s largest seed companies and pesticide makers, by farmers affected by sales of GMO corn seeds could proceed as a class action, consolidating the hundreds of lawsuits into a single tort. If you have been affected by Syngenta’s selling of GMO corn seeds, which were rejected by China, you may have a case. Contact our experienced environmental class actions attorneys at the offices of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC for your free consultation.

The Syngenta Lawsuit: What You Need to Know

Farmers have joined together to sue Syngenta and recover compensation for their economic harm. The lawsuit alleges that the Swiss seed company misled farmers and others in the industry about China’s approval of two of its genetically modified corn seed types: Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade. According to reports, Syngenta led farmers to believe that China was going to approve the seeds within a matter of days. However, China did not issue approval, and soon discovered that shipments it was receiving were contaminated with the unapproved MIR162 (a genetic modification). As a result, China - a major trade partner and importer of corn - began rejecting the shipments from the United States, a huge economic blow to the US corn market. According to an article published in Reuters, the economic harm to farmers who suffered losses when China began rejecting the corn total between $5 and $7 billion in both future and current profits. Of course, Syngenta has shunned any responsibility for the economic downturn and loss of farmers’ profits, stating that it launched the seeds in question in compliance with regulations and the law. A representative for the company has also been quoted as saying that the company disagrees with the court’s decision to allow for a class action, especially “given the widely varying ways in which farmers grow and sell corn in different markets across the US.”

Do I Have a Case?

The lawsuit affects all farmers of corn, as the economic downturn disrupted trade and dragged down corn prices around the US. If you are a farmer of corn, you may have a case. The lawsuits against Syngenta are intended to compensate farmers who experienced market losses as a result of Syngenta’s failure to take proper action to ensure that unapproved products did not contaminate the U.S. corn supply that was exported. Lawsuits are being filed to reclaim lost income of farmers.

Contact Our Law Offices Today

If you believe that you have been affected by the downturn in U.S. corn exports and loss of China, you might have a case and be able to reclaim your financial losses. In order to determine the strength of your claim, our experienced class action lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation and analysis. To schedule your consultation with our law offices today and learn more about your options, call our offices directly or fill out our online contact form. We will reply to your inquiry as soon as possible.