In a recent Syngenta corn lawsuit, multiple farmers and agricultural companies collectively filed legal action against the company for damages allegedly caused by Viptera corn.

The plaintiffs claim that due to Syngenta’s actions and decisions in releasing the genetically modified corn before China Viptera approval, they suffered severe economic losses and may continue to do so for the next few years.

The named plaintiffs involved in this Viptera corn lawsuit are farmers Brian M, Becky M., Mark M., Jason K., Larry V., Ricky F., and many others. Other plaintiff members filing legal action against Syngenta include Venison Farms Inc., Consolidated Farms Inc., E&M Farms LLC, Lonetree Farms LLC, and other companies.

Each of the farmers and farming operations are based in the Louisiana areas of West Carroll, East Carroll, Richland, and Morehouse, which are within the venue and jurisdiction of the court.

Each of these plaintiffs allege that Syngenta sold them genetically modified (GMO) corn which had not yet been approved by China’s import authorities. As a result, the plaintiffs planted, harvested and shipped Viptera corn from farms to local and regional distribution centers, only for a majority of their shipments to be turned away due to China’s rejection of the Syngenta corn.

Overview of Syngenta Corn Allegations

The trouble for the plaintiffs began in 2009 when Syngenta released their first generation of GMO corn strain called MIR162, or Agrisure Viptera. The Viptera corn strain was designed to make corn crops more resistant against corn pests, like earworms and cut black worms. This genetically modified corn was submitted for import approval to the Chinese government in March 2010.

China’s rejection of Viptera corn has been devastating to American farmers and agricultural companies, because China did not only reject Viptera corn shipments but other American corn shipments contaminated with Syngenta MIR162 as well.

As the third largest importer of corn for the United States, the losses associated with China’s rejection has totaled $1 billion to $3 billion so far for farmers, and experts don’t expect the losses to end any time soon. Before the release of Viptera corn, China had been buying 2.5 million tons on average per year. With the Viptera corn, the sales of corn went down by 85 percent with 375,000 tons per year.

Currently there are many Syngenta corn lawsuits that accuse the company of negligence and false advertising by selling the Viptera corn prematurely to American farmers for export sales. This group of plaintiffs and other farmers are accusing the company of negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

This Syngenta Corn Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-09177-JWL-JPO, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Monroe Division.