An appeals court in Lyon, France has upheld a 2012 ruling against Monsanto, in which it was found guilty of the chemical poisoning of a farmer named Paul François.
The grain grower said that in 2004 he became ill due to Monsanto’s weedkiller, Lasso. François claimed he suffered from neurological problems, memory loss, headaches and stammering after inadvertently inhaling the herbicide.
In François’ case, doctors determined the cause of his ill health was monochlorobenzene, a highly toxic substance that made up 50 percent of Monsanto’s herbicide, according to teleSUR. The substance sent François to the hospital, where he entered in a coma. Subsequent tests showed that the farmer suffered permanent brain disease, teleSUR reported.
In 2012, he filed suit against Monsanto for not providing a warning on the product label and won. Monsanto appealed the decision shortly after.
September's ruling, however, stamps another victory for the farmer. The appeals court said Monsanto was “responsible” for the intoxication and ordered the company to “fully compensate” François.
“It is a historic decision in so far as it is the first time that a (pesticide) maker is found guilty of such a poisoning,” François’ lawyer, told teleSUR.
In response, France has kicked out Monsanto and 35 other countries have certain bans on GE food. For the time being USA is only talking about it. Hopefully, sooner than later, we can follow suit.
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