Brazil Supreme Court Rules Bayer Must Return $252 Million in GMO Soy Royalties

By Reuters
| Feb. 17, 2023, at 6:09 p.m.

SaveBy Ana Mano

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Germany's Bayer has been ordered by Brazil's Supreme Court to return to Brazilian soybean farmers the royalties they were charged for a GMO soybean seed, the Mato Grosso farmer lobby Aprosoja-MT said in a statement on Friday.

The Feb. 13 ruling by Supreme Court Justice Nunes Marques relates to a GMO technology commercially known as Intacta RR2 Pro, created by Monsanto, which was later acquired by Germany's Bayer.

Bayer said in a statement it will determine its next steps while noting it would comply with the ruling. The ruling is the latest chapter of a protracted battle opposing the crop science firm and Brazilian farmers, who have launched multiple legal challenges against the firm.

In 2017, Mato Grosso farmers sued Monsanto over that same genetically modified seed, seeking to cancel its patent protections by claiming it did not bring any technological innovation.

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https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-02-17/brazil-supreme-court-rules-bayer-must-return-252-million-in-gmo-soy-royalties