Cargill Lawsuit Could Cost Enviro Seeds Business a Couple of Bucks

A Cargill lawsuit has been filed against the generic drug maker, Gilead. The complaint is in reference to Gilead’s top-selling medicine, Acomplia. This generic drug is known as “Acephate”. This is derived from an antibiotic, Amoxicillin-Celexa. According to the lawsuit, Gilead did not take reasonable steps to make sure that their product was safe for long term use and the generic Acephate contained harmful genetic material.

The primary ingredient in Acephate is Miconazole. When exposed to the sun, this ingredient discolors and causes blistering and burns to the user. Gilead has acknowledged that the Miconazole is a key export from the United States into Mexico. The lawsuit claims that Gilead did not warn consumers of the potential for harm resulting from exposure to this toxic chemical. In addition to this, Gilead is noted to have knowingly shipped goods that contained genetically altered corn seed into Mexico.

A major problem with the Cargill lawsuit is that it is being pushed on a global scale and is not a product that is only sold in one country. Many people may not be aware of the fact that Mexico is a major Corn Belt agricultural producer. Mexico exports more corn than any other country in the world. This is the case because of the close relationship between Mexico and the United States.

The United States, through the FDA, approved the importation of Acephate into the country. Gilead is listed as the primary processor of Acephate. Mexico is one of the countries that have been identified as a high risk destination for genetically altered crops. Therefore, Mexico was allowed to ship Acomplia into the country under the table. It was also noted that this company, through the registration process of its trademark, had intentionally deceived the FDA. Many people believe that this is just another way for Gilead to take advantage of the Corn Belt by controlling the export of this important key export crop.

The Cargill lawsuit is only the latest example of a large corporation taking advantage of a third-party country’s agricultural industry. This has been an ongoing issue. Recently, in Canada, there was an investigation launched into Envirex which is a Canadian seed business that is active in Latin America and South America. There has been an increase in genetically modified crops that have been released to the marketplace. Many countries, such as China and India, are concerned about the negative environmental impacts of these genetically modified seeds.

The lawsuit may have a short-term impact on the Acomplia crop sale. However, if the truth be told, this case could significantly impact the future availability of this important crop. If the allegations are proven, this could have a significant long-term impact on not only farmers but the entire agricultural sector of the world.