Colorado, FTC settlement with Corteva, Inc. lowers pesticide prices for farmers

Sept. 28, 2026 (DENVER) - Colorado, along with the Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, has secured a settlement agreement with pesticide manufacturing giant Corteva, Inc. that will lead to lower pesticide prices for farmers, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced today.

Under the terms of the settlement (PDF), Corteva will dismantle its existing pesticides loyalty program, which has limited distributors' ability to do business with generic competitors that seek to enter the market after Corteva patents have expired. The settlement agreement will provide relief to farmers who have long endured high pesticide prices by ensuring greater access to lower-cost generic pesticide products.

"This settlement with pesticide maker Corteva will lead to lower pesticide prices for farmers. The company's anticompetitive prices blocked competitors from selling cheaper crop protection products to farmers, and now we are restoring competition to the market. This settlement is good news for farmers who grow our food and for consumers who are paying higher prices for groceries," Attorney General Weiser said.

The settlement reached with Corteva resolves a lawsuit brought by the FTC and states in 2022, which alleges that Corteva implemented a post-patent loyalty program that paid distributors to block competitors from selling cheaper generic products to farmers. According to the complaint, this conduct allowed Corteva to maintain elevated prices, forcing American farmers to overpay millions of dollars more for essential crop protection products. The complaint makes similar allegations against Syngenta-another pesticide manufacturing giant-and its post-patent loyalty program.

The FTC and states' agreed settlement with Corteva includes provisions that will end the company's alleged exclusionary conduct that has raised pesticide prices for farmers. It also prohibits Corteva from discriminating against or threatening customers because they refuse to agree to prohibited exclusive or loyalty terms, or because they conduct business with Corteva's competitors, including generic manufacturers. The agreement is in effect for 10 years.

In addition, the agreement requires Corteva to pay the states $35 million to cover their fees and costs. Colorado's anticipated share is approximately $300,000.

The settlement announced today resolves only the claims against Corteva. Litigation against Syngenta remains ongoing.

The states joining the settlement include California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

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