Monsanto watch: March 8

Class action denied, again: A federal appeals court ruled that a group of farmers filing suit against the gene giant could not claim class-action status. An initial request was denied in 2003, and was immediatley appealed to the higher court.

The 1999 case accuses Monsanto and other suppliers of agricultural seed of price collusion during the 1990s in the market for genetically modified seeds, or GM seeds. The suit also alleges Monsanto failed to adequately test GM seeds for health and safety issues before releasing them into the market, and that the company made "deceptive statements or omissions" when concerning GM testing.