The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced that genetically modified rice, developed and tested by Bayer, had been found in samples taken from commercial long grain rice. Bayer's genetically modified rice has not been approved for human consumption. As a result of Bayer's actions, prices for U.S. rice have dropped dramatically as Japan and the European Union have placed strict limits on U.S. rice imports.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Bayer on behalf of rice farmers in Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and California for contaminating United States rice crops. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and alleges that Bayer failed to prevent its unapproved rice from entering the food chain.
