A Syngenta corn class action lawsuit was filed by a planting company in Mississippi after suffering extreme financial loss allegedly caused by Syngenta AG and their genetically modified corn known as Viptera. This is one of countless Syngenta lawsuits and Syngenta class action lawsuits filed by farmers who allege that they have been affected by this GMO corn.

GMO Corn: MIR162

In 2009, Syngenta created and released a GMO corn called MIR162, also known as Viptera. Syngenta told thousands of individuals to plant, harvest, and sell  MIR162 before they had received Viptera approval from all national and international corn exporters. While Viptera was only planted in a small percentage of farmland across the nation, it was allegedly enough to contaminate most of the surrounding farmland with the Syngenta corn. 

China, one of the largest receivers of American corn, had not yet granted Viptera approval before Syngenta corn was planted. Syngenta allegedly informed farmers that approval was imminent and that they should go ahead with planting and selling this Syngenta corn. However, China failed to grant Viptera approval and immediately rejected all corn exports with the smallest hint of Syngenta GMO corn. This reportedly cost American corn farmers billions of dollars.

According to the Syngenta corn class action lawsuit, “Due solely to Syngenta’s release of Viptera, plaintiffs and those similarly situated have incurred, and will continue to incur, substantial losses arising from the loss of export markets.” Because of Syngenta’s action, China rejected all MIR162 in November 2013, seriously impacting the 2014 season, which was already influenced by widespread use of Syngenta GMO corn.

Syngenta Class Action Lawsuits

Numerous Syngenta class action lawsuits and Syngenta corn lawsuits have been filed against the company claiming that Syngenta “misinformed farmers” about Viptera corn approval. The Syngenta corn class action lawsuit quoted the CEO of the company who stated in 2012, “There isn’t outstanding approval for China, which we expect to have quite frankly within the matter of a couple days … we know of no issue with that whatsoever.” Despite this assertion, China did not approve Viptera corn, causing many farmers to economically suffer after planting the Syngenta corn. 

The Syngenta lawsuit accuses the manufacturer of acting with only their immediate profit in mind, not the best interest of the farmers or the U.S. corn exports. Viptera represented “approximately 25% of Syngenta’s corn portfolio” and made billions of dollars for the company, said the Syngenta lawsuit.

More Syngenta lawsuits may continue to be filed as a second version of Viptera, known as Duracade, has been released, once again without China approval.

Syngenta has been accused of contaminating the American corn supply and for misleading thousands, if not millions, of individuals involved in the corn industry. Claims in this Syngenta corn lawsuit include public nuisance, negligence, product liability, failure to warn, tortious interference, and other claims.

This Syngenta Lawsuit is Case No. 3:14-cv-858, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Northern Division.