The barrage of farmer lawsuits against a biotech developer could give foreign buyers more influence over genetically modified crops grown in the U.S., experts say.
Syngenta faces numerous cases in federal court filed by growers who claim they lost money due to China’s rejection of Viptera corn, which USDA deregulated in 2010.
The legal dispute is troubling to biotech proponents, who fear that litigation-averse companies will become reluctant to introduce new traits even when they’re approved by federal regulators.
“It’s ultimately giving China a veto on our regulatory process,” said Mary Boote, CEO of Truth About Trade and Technology, a nonprofit that supports genetic engineering.
Critics of federal biotech oversight, on the other hand, say the lawsuits simply reflect market realities — overseas buyers are often sensitive to transgenic crops regardless of their status with USDA.
The court system provides a means of “backdoor regulation,” said George Kimbrell, attorney for the Center for Food Safety, which is involved in several lawsuits over biotechnology.
“We think federal oversight of genetically engineered crops is woefully inadequate,” Kimbrell said. “Litigation is unfortunately even more necessary in such circumstances.”
Read full, original article: Foreign markets loom large in GMO litigation
