Legal victory for rice farmers

Jul 11, 2011

A portion of one of the largest genetically modified seed contamination cases has ended for three Southern states, as the multi-national German biotech corporation Bayer CropScience has agreed to pay $750 million to over 11,000 farmers in five states for damages incurred after a leak of a genetically modified strain of rice contaminated billions of dollars’ worth of the U.S. rice supply.

The incident left the massive rice shipment unfit for export to numerous countries, costing some farmers up to 15 percent of their annual earnings and others their businesses.

States receiving compensation include Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Missouri. Most farmers will receive roughly $310 per acre, which is less than half of the pre-2006 typical harvest values.

Maintaining and increasing the economic status of each southern states is a priority of the Center (as outlined in our Agenda for a Better South) and one of the best ways to achieve this is by protecting each state’s agriculture and export communities.

Bayer Settles With Farmers Over Modified Rice Seeds

Louisiana Farmers Settle Suit on Genetically Modified Rice