Syngenta is facing a lawsuit alleging that they caused harm to a U.S. farmer by negligently and releasing the GMO corn seed, known as Viptera, before it was approved by countries that import U.S. corn.

Plaintiff Mark A., an Iowa farmer, has filed this Viptera lawsuit against Syngenta alleging he suffered financial damage because the release of Viptera corn into the U.S. corn seed supply destroyed the export market of U.S. corn to China and other countries.

The Viptera corn lawsuit claims that cross-pollination occurs when Viptera corn pollen drifts to nearby non-Viptera fields and that allegedly depressed prices for all domestic corn. This has allegedly interfered with Mark’s livelihood, as he is unable to sell his corn to grain elevators and supply companies at a reasonable price.

Syngenta Viptera Corn Issue

The Syngenta lawsuit centers around Viptera corn, which was genetically altered to contain a protein MIR162 that kills corn pests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved it in 2010, and Syngenta first sold it to 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 Corn Causes Financial Loss

Corn exports are crucial for many Iowa farmers like Mark. 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

Mark is not the only Iowa farmer to file a Viptera corn lawsuit against Syngenta. Hundreds of Iowa farmers and business have similarly filed Viptera lawsuits against the company. Court records show all of the Viptera lawsuits allege that Syngenta intenionally 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 farmers, grain distributers 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 harm resulting from Viptera contamination of the U.S. corn supply. The filed complaint indicates a demand for a jury trial for this case.

The Viptera Corn Lawsuit is Case No. 6:15-cv-02048, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Eastern Division – Waterloo.