Update – February 21, 2023
On September 29, 2021, the action was certified by the Honourable Justice Rady of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice permitting the proceeding to move forward on behalf of all Canadian corn growers (excluding those in Quebec) who priced their corn for sale after November 18, 2013. On January 20, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the Notice of Certification.
View a copy of the September 29, 2021, Certification Decision here.
View a copy of the January 20, 2023, Order re Notice of Certification here.
View a copy of the Long Form Notice of Certification here (English) / (French).
Class Members who want to participate in the class action are automatically included and do not need to do anything at this time. Each Class Member who does not opt-out of the class action will be bound by the terms of any judgment or settlement, and will not be allowed to pursue or continue an independent action with respect to these issues. If the class action is successful, Class Members may be entitled to share in the amount of any award or settlement recovered.
Class Members who do not wish to participate in the class action must opt-out. A Class Member who opts-out will not be bound by any result in the class action. If you wish to pursue or continue to pursue an individual action against Syngenta with respect to this issue, then you must opt-out of the class action. If you would like to opt-out of the class action, you must complete and return the opt-out form by April 25, 2023.
View a copy of the Opt-Out Form here (English) / (French).
If you have any questions regarding this notice or about the class action in general, please contact us directly at syngenta@mckenzielake.com or by phone at 1-800-261-4844. If corresponding by email, please include your name, your telephone number and a brief message.
Syngenta Class Action – December 1, 2015
In December 2015, a class proceeding was filed against Syngenta Canada Inc. and Syngenta AG (collectively “Syngenta”) alleging that Syngenta prematurely commercialized its Viptera and Duracade corn seeds containing a genetically modified trait, namely MIR-162, prior to obtaining full import approval from China. The action alleges that subsequent to the commercialization, on November 13, 2013, China rejected North American corn imports. This class action seeks damages for all corn growers in Canada (excluding those in Quebec) who priced their corn for sale after the November 18, 2023 Chinese rejection and the resulting alleged market decline.
View a copy of the Claim here.
The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned Syngenta’s successful motion to dismiss the Claim on the basis it was bound to fail pursuant to the Pure Economic Loss Doctrine. The Claim is moving forward on the basis of an allegation of premature commercialization.
View a copy of the Ontario Court of Appeal decision here.
Contact Us
To receive updates on the Syngenta corn class action or for any inquiries with respect to this class action, please contact us directly at syngenta@mckenzielake.com or by phone at 1-800-261-4844. If corresponding by email, please include your name, your telephone number and a brief message.
