Tech | March 27, 2011 | 12 comments

Bayer ordered to pay 136.8 million in US GM rice contamination case

source: http://planetark.org/wen/61552

Image
JanforGore
A unit of Germany's Bayer AG has been ordered by a court in Arkansas to pay $136.8 million to Riceland Foods over the contamination of U.S. long grain rice stocks with a genetically modified strain from Bayer that decimated exports more than four years ago.

The judgment, handed down by a jury in Stuttgart, Arkansas, includes $125 million in punitive damages to Riceland, a farmers cooperative.

Bayer said it is "disappointed" with the verdict and is considering its legal options. It said the punitive damages exceed what is permitted by Arkansas law and will therefore be limited to the statutory cap of $1 million.

The judgment also includes $16.9 million in compensatory damages, with Bayer CropScience accountable for 70 percent, or $11.8 million, according to the plaintiff's attorney.

"We believe it's the largest punitive award in Arkansas in any case," said attorney Barry Deacon with the Jonesboro, Arkansas law firm Barrett & Deacon.

The award follows several others in U.S. courts where the agricultural biotech firm has repeatedly been found negligent for allowing a strain of genetically modified long grain rice to contaminate U.S. supplies, leading importers like the European Union, to halt purchases.

A spokesman for Riceland did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Tech,   Green,   Earth and Science,   1 more
  2. tags:
    Environment,  Legal,  Toxic,  transgenic contamination,  3 more
  3.     
    |

12 comments // Bayer ordered to pay 136.8 million in US GM rice contamination case

  • Leen61
    • 0
      Leen61  

    • This isn't all Bayer is known for. Their pharmacutical arm was found negligent in distributing AIDS tainted medicine for hemophiliacs. This is your example of tort reform in action that the Reps champion. These corporations can make billions in profit but the awards given to victims of their negligence are capped.

    • 1 year ago
  • wtthfkovr
  • JanforGore
  • KSirys
    • +3
      KSirys  

    • And even with this information and verdict, US companies still buy the contaminated rice and sell it to the US people.... great government protection!!

    • 1 year ago
  • Schnookums
    • +1
      Schnookums  

    • As agri-giants follow Monsanto's lead in transferring all legal responsibility to the growers of their genetically modified creations (while at the same time collectively removing natural seed stock alternatives), GM crop growth and contamination will be entrenched and unfightable. As many of these mutant plants are programed to produce seeds that won't grow a new generation if planted, the farmers and everyone around them contaminated with the pollen from these travesties will be locked in to buying new seed stock from the corporations that produced them every year.

      It's a diabolical plan straight out of Hollywood, except it isn't. The already tiny window of opportunity to do something about it is basically closed. As with the inevitable collapse of our monetary system, the conversation now needs to shift to how we will cope in such a world.

    • 1 year ago
  • morirjedi
  • OrchidBlack
    • +4
      OrchidBlack  

    • It’s about time. These companies deliberately contaminate farmer’s crops and when contamination is detected by trespassing on farmer’s property, they have the nerve to sue farmers for infringing on their patent. Even though they are responsible for the contamination in the first place. This is a step in the right direction.

    • 1 year ago
  • riffmage
  • dinm76
    • +6
      dinm76  

    • We do all remember that Bayer was the German chemical company that supplyed the gas to the nazis for the ( showers ) don't we?

    • 1 year ago
  • JanforGore
  • artemis6
  • COMMONSENSEFORCOMMONGOOD_COM
more from Tech:
from the community

top videos