Dive Brief:
- Monsanto Company has reached a settlement agreement with wheat farmers in several states over lawsuits regarding genetically-modified wheat discovered in May 2013 on an Eastern Oregon farm and the temporary soft white wheat export limits imposed because of it.
- Per the settlement agreement, Monsanto will donate $50,000 to the agricultural school at every state involved in the suit's land grant university. The company will also be reimbursing some out-of-pocket costs and fees that plaintiffs and their counsel incurred related to the lawsuits.
- This settlement does not include an admission of accountability from Monsanto.
Dive Insight:
While these farmers may not be directly compensated for all of their losses due to the export limits, Monsanto feels that this settlement benefits them in other ways, particularly in investing in the present and future of the wheat industry. This appears to be enough for the farmers involved in these cases, but many other farmers throughout the country may not feel as ready to reach such a settlement with GMO seed companies. This most notably includes Syngenta, which faces several lawsuits in the U.S.