Monsanto could pay $7.5 billion settlement to millions of Brazilian soy farmers

For at least a decade, Monsanto, has been illegally charging Brazilian farmers growing the company’s genetically-modified (GM) crops a two percent tax on production, and a three percent tax for cross-contamination of seed, say plaintiffs in a new lawsuit.

According to CorpWatch, the agri-giant could soon have to fork over $7.5 billion in reimbursements to more than five million Brazilian farmers as a result of these blatant crimes.

Oddly enough, Monsanto’s very presence in Brazil was predicated on fraud, as its GM soy seeds were first smuggled into the country illegally back in 1998. Fast forward about 13 years and nearly 75 million acres of arable land in Brazil are now occupied by Monsanto’s GM crops, the vast majority of which constitute Roundup Ready soy.

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