Syngenta Corn Class Action Update: June 23, 2017
(Chris Ellis interview with Stu Ellis of WCIA 3, courtesy of AgricultureReporting.com.)
After roughly half a day of deliberation, a Kansas jury found Syngenta negligent and awarded $217,700,000 in compensatory damages to more than 7,000 Kansas corn producer plaintiffs. This trial was the first of eight certified state class action lawsuits involving nationwide claims by corn growers’ and farmers that Switzerland-based Syngenta’s actions with its genetically modified strains of corn led to the loss of an important market for U.S. corn – China. The other certified state class action lawsuits involve Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota corn producers. Additional state class action lawsuits in this matter are awaiting certification.
The case against Syngenta began after corn growers’ alleged they suffered significant economic damages when Syngenta sold two genetically modified strains of corn seed to American farmers prior to receiving Chinese approval. A major importer of American corn, China began refusing all shipments of U.S. corn after a genetic trait found in the modified strains of corn was detected in shipments from the United States. With the loss of the Chinese market, the corn growers’ alleged that the price of corn decreased, causing economic harm.
BRE Law has played an active role in the litigation against Syngenta. At the beginning of the case, Chris Ellis was appointed to serve on the liaison counsel of the class action case. Because of that appointment, local farmers that are participating in the class action have high-level local representation in one of the largest, most complex cases in the country.
The BRE Law team is extremely proud to protect the interests of local farmers. If you are a corn producer, farmer, or have a general interest in learning more about the class action lawsuit, please contact us or visit the Class Action website.
