A U.S. corn farmer filed a Syngenta lawsuit alleging the agri-giant caused irreversible financial harm by negligently releasing the GMO corn seed, known as Viptera, before it was approved by countries that import U.S. corn.

Plaintiff Daniel W., an Iowa corn farmer, filed this Viptera lawsuitagainst Syngenta alleging he suffered financial damages because of Syngenta’s decision to release Viptera corn into the U.S. corn seed supply, which crippled the 2013-2014 corn export market to China.

The corn farmer also claims in the Syngenta lawsuit that Syngenta’s follow up release of a second generation GMO corn seed after the Viptera debacle demonstrates the company’s disregard of corn farmers and the corn export industry.  This release of Duracade also caused Daniel loss of sales and income, according to the Syngenta lawsuit.

Syngenta Viptera Corn Issue

Many Syngenta lawsuits filed by corn farmers across the U.S. center around Viptera corn, which was genetically altered to contain the protein MIR162 that kills corn pests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved it in 2010, and Syngenta first sold it to corn farmers in 2011 without receiving approval of the GMO corn seed from corn importers.

One of these importers, China, refused to purchase the genetically modified corn because it had not been tested. When China discovered the Viptera corn trait in several U.S. shipments, it immediately rejected all U.S. corn imports, which resulted catastrophic financial losses for many U.S. farmers and related industries.

Viptera Cripples Corn Industry

Corn exports are crucial for many Iowa farmers like Daniel. 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 cost 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 Viptera corn until December 2014.

Syngenta Corn Lawsuits

Daniel is not the only Iowa farmer to file a Viptera corn lawsuit against Syngenta. Hundreds of Iowa corn farmers and business have similarly filed Viptera lawsuits against the company. Court records show all of the Viptera lawsuits allege that Syngenta intentionally interfered with the U.S. corn market by making false representations of China Viptera approval that deceived farmers and other consumers.

These Viptera lawsuits claim that Syngenta’s marketing of Viptera corn seed to China before China had approved the hybrid corn seed was in deliberate disregard for farmers and done for pure greed. The Viptera lawsuits also allege that Syngenta’s actions and China’s rejection of all U.S. corn shipments caused corn farmers, grain distributors and exporters to suffer economic damages and caused a drop in corn prices.

The Syngenta corn lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for Syngenta’s alleged reckless conduct in misleading approvals for Viptera corn export and for the alleged financial harm resulting from Viptera contamination of the U.S. corn supply. The filed complaint indicates a request for a jury trial for this case.

The Viptera Corn Lawsuit is Case No. 4:15-cv-00393-REL-HCA, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.