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Ag prof analyzes Syngenta ruling

Programs ICONA federal court ruling on the case against Syngenta has been analyzed by an agricultural law professor. Bryan Endres, associate arofessor of Agricultural Law with the University of Illinois, says it was the first substantive ruling by a court on some of the legal issues based on Syngenta’s order to dismiss the case. Endres tells Brownfield Ag News, “Syngenta successfully had several counts dismissed on this litigation but, importantly, some main and important counts are moving forward now.”

The cases brought by farmers accuse Syngenta of knowingly causing harm to the corn market by allowing seed that was approved in the U.S. but not in China to be shipped to China. Endres says the court agreed with the plaintiffs that Syngenta does have a “duty of care,” adding, “The court was very careful and said that the farmers used the seeds that were created by Syngenta exactly as Syngenta intended and that Syngenta should have and actually did anticipate this use AND anticipated the harm that could come from comingling and loss of export markets.”

Endres says a trial is not a certainty and it would take a long time for the case to come to that.

AUDIO:  Interview with Bryan Endres

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