If you farm and bought pesticides over the last several years, this one is worth tracking — but not filing on yet. Corteva has agreed to pay $85 million; the claims process hasn't opened, and part of the case is still being fought.
What Is This About?
Corteva, the agriculture and crop-science company spun off from DowDuPont, has agreed to an $85 million settlement with a nationwide class of farmers who accuse it of using "loyalty programs" to keep pesticide prices high. The deal resolves Corteva's part of In re: Crop Protection Products Loyalty Program Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 1:23-md-03062, a multidistrict case in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Plaintiffs moved for preliminary approval in mid-June 2026, with the settlement funds to be placed in escrow shortly after.Two things are important to keep straight. First, this is an agricultural-antitrust case about how pesticides were sold — it has nothing to do with the separate PFAS "forever chemicals" litigation that also names Corteva. Second, the settlement is with Corteva only; co-defendant Syngenta remains in the case, so the story isn't over. Corteva settled to resolve the claims, and the allegations have not been proven.
The "Loyalty Program" Allegations
The case is about how crop-protection products — pesticides, herbicides, fungicides — reach farmers through distributors. According to the farmers, Corteva and Syngenta ran loyalty and rebate programs that paid distributors to limit how much they sold of generic and rival manufacturers' products. The alleged effect was to foreclose competition, keep cheaper generic alternatives off shelves after patents expired, and hold prices up — costs that landed on the farmers who bought the products. The private farmer case runs alongside a parallel enforcement action by the Federal Trade Commission and a group of states over the same loyalty-program theory. Corteva settled without admitting the allegations, which remain unproven.Free settlement alerts
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Who's in the Class — and What They'd Get
The class is made up of U.S. farmers and others who purchased specific crop-protection products from roughly October 2018 through May 2026 — an estimated 100,000-plus purchasers. Under the deal, Corteva is to help identify class members from its own purchase and sales records, which can make notifying growers more direct than a typical consumer case. The $85 million would be shared pro rata among the class, but the per-farmer amount, the exact list of covered products, and whether any proof of purchase is needed will all be spelled out in the court-approved notice — none of that is set yet.There's No Claim Form Yet
This is the key practical point: nothing is claimable today. A settlement has been reached, but the court still has to grant preliminary approval before any notice program or claims process begins. There is no official settlement website, no claims administrator portal, no claim form, and no deadline. Be wary of any site that tells you to "file a Corteva claim" now — none exists. We will update this page (and move it to our settlements section) once the court approves the deal and an official claims website and deadline go live. Because Syngenta is still in the case, additional money for farmers could follow.Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a claim form for the Corteva $85M settlement?
Not yet. The settlement was reached in mid-2026 and is at the preliminary-approval stage. There is no official settlement website, no claim form, and no deadline yet. A notice and claims process would open only after the court grants preliminary approval.
Who is in the class?
U.S. farmers and others who purchased certain crop-protection products (pesticides) from roughly October 2018 through May 2026 — an estimated 100,000-plus purchasers. Corteva is to help identify class members from its sales records. The exact class definition and distribution method will be set in the court-approved notice.
What did the lawsuit allege?
Farmers allege Corteva (and co-defendant Syngenta) ran loyalty and rebate programs that paid distributors to limit generic and rival pesticide makers, foreclosing competition and inflating prices. These are allegations; Corteva settled to resolve the claims, and the case continues against Syngenta.
Does the settlement end the whole case?
No. The $85 million settlement is with Corteva only. Co-defendant Syngenta remains in the litigation, so additional recovery is possible. There is also a parallel FTC and multistate enforcement action over the same conduct.
Sources
- DTN/Progressive Farmer — 100K+ Farmers to Share in $85M Corteva Settlement
- Law360 — Corteva Strikes $85M Deal in Farmer Pesticide Antitrust MDL
- Cohen Milstein (co-lead counsel) — Case Overview
- CourtListener — MDL 1:23-md-03062 Docket
