Strawberry breeding company California Berry Cultivars (CBC) has filed a lawsuit against the University of California, in which it accuses the institution of mismanaging the world famous UC Davis strawberry breeding programme.
The lawsuit cites breach of contract, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and unfair competition.
The filing of the complaint represents the frustration of CBC members after more than three years of unsuccessful discussions and negotiations revolving around what they see as the systematic demise of breeding programme.
“CBC members came together after it was apparent that UC Davis officials had orchestrated a collapse of protocols and precedents in what should have been a well-conceived strategy of succession for the UC’s strawberry breeding programme,” CBC said in a press statement.
CBC goes on to accuse UC Davis administrators of denying the breeders rights and access to their own inventions of strawberry plant breeding material and says officials have misled the industry and CBC members into believing that the core collection of strawberry breeding materials have been safeguarded and properly maintained.
“For over three years, CBC has worked to re-invigorate the stalled strawberry-breeding programme through efforts to obtain non-exclusive access to the core strawberry materials created by Drs Doug Shaw and Kirk Larson [two of its members] and now held by the UC. The failure of UC Davis to establish a succession plan and the lack of continuity is creating hardships for all growers large and small who depend on improved strawberry varieties for their livelihoods,” CBC stated.
CBC, which is comprised of veteran members of the California strawberry growing community, claims that the UC has damaged the commercial viability of its members, as well as the California strawberry industry, by mismanaging one of the most prolific and successful public-private partnerships in US Land Grant history.
The company said it was seeking equitable and monetary relief for injuries that have been, and will continue to be, caused by the UC’s incompetence and unlawful conduct.
CBC is a berry breeding company comprised primarily of strawberry farmers focused on developing new berry varieties for the California strawberry industry and globally. In addition to Drs. Shaw and Larson, who have both retired from the University of California, Davis Pomology Department and who are now working for CBC, additional CBC partners include California Giant Berry Farms, principals at Orange County Produce, , International Semillas, Rod Koda, Daren Gee and Lassen Canyon Nursery.
