Lawyers are seeking class action status for a case against Bayer CropScience AG alleging that farmers suffered economic losses after the company released their experimental Liberty Link rice into the food supply, which caused some countries to ban US rice from being imported.
Farmers claim that biotech seed companies should be liable for economic losses when their experimental strains escape and contaminate outdoor crops, leading to export bans.
The Liberty Link rice was not approved for human consumption, and likely escaped from a test plot at Louisiana State University. When news of the Liberty Link episode was released, rice prices plunged and European markets restricted US rice imports.
