Dynamic Accident Lawyers: Syngenta Corn MDL Bellwether Cases Have Been Chosen

A multidistrict litigation against Syngenta over its involvement in the decline in corn prices has picked 48 cases for bellwether trials.

These 48 cases were chosen to move into bellwether trials from among thousands of individuals who claim they were affected by Syngenta’s actions and are said to be representative of the entire corn industry affected by the decline in corn prices.

These Syngenta GMO corn lawsuits include farmers with varying amounts of corn acreage, people in charge of corn storage, corn distributors, and people with different crop protection policies.

Syngenta’s GMO Viptera Strain: Background

Syngenta, an agribusiness that produces seeds, has sold a genetically modified (GMO) corn seed called Viptera (MIR162) to U.S. farmers since 2011. This GMO corn strain was created to protect the corn against harmful pests like corn borer and corn rootworm.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized the introduction of Syngenta’s GMO Viptera strain into the U.S. corn market. While the strain was perfectly legal to use in the U.S. market, it was not approved in China until October 2014.

In the meantime, China had cut off U.S. corn imports, allegedly to keep Syngenta’s Viptera strain out. This ban affected all levels of the corn industry. Even after the ban was lifted, according to these lawsuits, Chinese imports of U.S. corn have drastically decreased – by about 85 percent.

Syngenta lawsuits claim that the agribusiness’ release of genetically modified corn strains into the market led directly to the Chinese ban on U.S. corn imports, which in turn severely damaged all aspects of the U.S. corn industry. Aspects affected by the damage include corn farming, corn storage, and corn distribution.

These lawsuits further claim that when Viptera was released into the market without approval from China, the corn industry lost billions in profits when China banned Syngenta seed. The problem grew even worse when the Syngenta seed intermingled with non-GMO seed, prompting China to prohibit all U.S. corn imports. This ban lasted until late 2014.

As a result of Syngenta’s alleged failure to be completely transparent about China Viptera approval, many farmers and corn industry stakeholders were left financially devastated. Indeed, Syngenta lawsuits allege that Syngenta deliberately misled the public and the corn industry about China’s stance toward the MIR162 Viptera strain.

Syngenta MDL

Syngenta claims that the plaintiffs’ MDL counsel said that a number of its bellwether selections were not properly included in the MDL yet, having filed their individual lawsuit too recently. However, the counsel responded that in order to reach a diversity of members of the corn industry, they needed to include plaintiffs who had not yet filed.

Syngenta has also contended that it cannot be held solely responsible for the decline in corn prices. Syngenta has filed a third-party lawsuit against other major corn distributors, including Cargill and Archer Daniels.

Syngenta alleges that these corn distributors are equally guilty for failing to separate Syngenta’s GMO Viptera strain from corn shipments.

If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by Syngenta MIR162 or declining corn prices, such as a corn farmer or someone involved in corn storage or distribution, you may be able to file an individual Syngenta corn lawsuit or join a Syngenta class action lawsuit.

The Syngenta Viptera MDL is In Re Syngenta AG MIR 162 Corn Litigation, Case No. 2:14-md-02591, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

Join a Free Syngenta GMO Corn Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you, a family member, a partner, or an associate has been affected by Syngenta® GMO corn or declining corn prices, you may be eligible for compensation.

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