Aventis Settles One StarLink Suit, Gains Another

Aventis Settles One StarLink Suit, Gains Another

DES MOINES, Iowa--Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced ina press release that Aventis CropScience signed an agreement with 17 states tomitigate losses due to growing StarLink corn. Aventis and the farmers' legalrepresentatives said they were satisfied with the settlement.

"We are pleased to have reached this agreement," said an Aventisspokesperson. "We appreciate the states' leadership and will continue towork together to resolve the StarLink issue." According to the Aventisclaims procedure, corn growers meeting specific requirements will receive 25cents per bushel of contaminated corn.

Miller said he was pleased about the formal agreement and that Aventis couldnow be held legally accountable for corn growers' losses. "Aventisexpressly agreed that it is obligated to compensate growers and elevators forloss in value resulting from StarLink corn, buffer corn and commingledcorn," Miller stated. "That means the states have clear standing to goto court if Aventis fails to live up to its obligations."

However, just two weeks after the agreement was solidified, Aventis waspinned with yet another lawsuit. On Feb. 5, Des Moines attorney Roxanne Conlinfiled a class-action lawsuit against Aventis on behalf of Iowa farmers who didnot grow StarLink, but have incurred monetary losses due to consumer fears ofbiotech corn in the nation's food supply. "I represent farmers who sufferedenormous economic loss because StarLink escaped into the food chain,"Conlin said. "The corn market has plummeted, and due to the fact that 40percent of StarLink corn was grown in Iowa, [the situation] has been devastatingto the state's economy." Aventis accepted claims up to Feb. 15, 2001. Formore information, visit www.state.ia.us/government/ag,or www.thecampaign.org.