U.S. rice farmers seek class action against Bayer
German research company Bayer AG is facing a possible massive class action lawsuit from U.S. rice farmers over the contamination of commercial rice supplies that were not approved for human consumption.
In St. Louis, Missouri, 7,000 long-grain rice producers from Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are seeking unspecified damages against Bayer for the contamination that was discovered in August 2006.
The farmers claim to have suffered extensive economic losses — as a result of a plunge in rice prices and a sharp drop in exports to Japan and the EU as they restricted U.S. rice from entering their borders.
Many farmers were also not able to plant their crops the following year because of seed shortages connected to the contamination, and had to undertake costly clean-up efforts, according to the class members’ lawyers.
The plaintiffs’ attorney Don Downing asserted that giving this case class-action status was the best solution for farmers who lost money, markets, and in some cases, an entire season’s crop. “This is their livelihood,” Downing said.
The genetically engineered long-grain rice that has been the center of controversy has a protein known as Liberty Link, which allows the crop to endure herbicides used to destroy weeds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration said there was no public health threat or environmental risks associated with the genetically engineered rice and the two agencies chose not to persecute Bayer for the contamination.
Bayer is fighting the class-action certification, and a ruling from U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry is pending for now.
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