The agribusiness giant, Syngenta, has been hit with a class action lawsuit, alleging that they caused significant damage and financial loss to farmers throughout the United States by allegedly contaminating U.S. corn seed with Agrisure Viptera, making it unfit for export to China, a major trade partner and importer of corn.

The Syngenta corn GMO class action lawsuitfiled by plaintiff Orville G., a farmer from Minnesota, alleges he did not purchase Agrisure Viptera corn seed yet he suffered financial damage because of the cross-contamination or potential cross-contamination of his non-Viptera corn with the bioengineered corn.

The GMO corn seed class action lawsuit purports that Syngenta’s release of Viptera corn into the U.S. corn seed supply destroyed the export of U.S. corn to China and caused depressed prices for all domestic corn.

Orville brings this Syngenta corn class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and the Class, claiming the cross-pollination of Viptera corn contaminated his crop, which resulted in a financial loss for Orville and other farmers.

Syngenta GMO Corn Seed Approval

Corn exports are crucial for many Iowa farmers. The U.S. Agriculture Department had expected Chinese corn imports to grow from 3 million tons in 2012 to an estimated 24.3 million tons by 2023, which would account for 35 percent of the growth in global corn imports during that same time period.

Trade organizations calculate that China’s rejection of U.S. corn costs farmers more than $1 billion through lower corn prices. Syngenta submitted its bioengineered corn seed to China for approval in March 2010 but China did not approve the GMO corn until December 2014.

Syngenta issued a statement on Dec. 22, 2014 that Chinese regulatory authorities gave approval for GMO corn seed shipments from the United States.

According to Syngenta, China approved importing Agrisure Viptera corn grain and processing byproducts, such as dried distiller grains for food and feed use. Syngenta explained the Agrisure Viptera trait is important in controlling corn-eating insects.

Syngenta Corn Lawsuits

Orville is not the only farmer to file a corn GMO class action lawsuit against Syngenta. Hundreds of U.S. farmers and business have similarly filed corn lawsuits against Syngenta all similarly alleging that Syngenta misled U.S. farmers on facts relating to the U.S. corn export market, and particularly in relation to China’s position as a major export market.

This Syngenta corn class action lawsuit is seeking compensatory, consequential, and punitive damages for Syngenta’s alleged deception as to China’s approval of Viptera corn.

The Syngenta Corn Class Action Lawsuit is Case No. 0:14-cv-04464-RHK-SER, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.