Florida Crystals Sued for Greenwashing: Environmental Harm Alleged

Case Overview: Florida Crystals faces a lawsuit alleging deceptive "green" claims, accusing the company of harming the Everglades and residents through sugarcane burning.

Consumers Affected: Consumers nationwide who purchased Florida Crystals products based on alleged misleading environmental claims.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Florida Crystals and its parent company, the Fanjul Corporation, have been misleading consumers with claims of environmental responsibility, all while damaging the sensitive Everglades environments and local residents and contributing to climate change, a new lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit says that the company’s practice of burning sugarcane before harvest releases harmful pollutants into the air, contributing to climate change and harming local communities, despite marketing itself as an eco-friendly brand.

Florida Crystals Accused of Misleading "Green" Marketing

Sugarcane growers have two primary methods for removing excess leaves before harvest: burning or green harvesting (also known as slashing). Burning is a cost-effective but environmentally damaging approach that releases greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollutants. 

In contrast, green harvesting requires an upfront investment in machinery but significantly reduces emissions and soil degradation. While major sugar-producing nations like Brazil, India, and Thailand have restricted or banned pre-harvest burning, the United States has not followed suit, the lawsuit explains.

Sugarcane Burning Practices Linked to Environmental and Health Harms

The lawsuit says Florida Crystals’ practices have significant harmful impacts on both the environment and public health. The smoke from pre-harvest burns, referred to locally as “black snow,” contains toxins similar to those found in cigarette smoke. This pollution has been linked to elevated rates of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even premature deaths in the Florida Glades region. 

Many affected residents are low-income people of color, a fact that has fueled allegations of environmental injustice, the lawsuit argues. Additionally, runoff from Florida Crystals’ fields has contributed to “dead zones” in local waterways, including Lake Okeechobee, while also restricting clean water flow to the Everglades.

Despite decades of activism and litigation, Florida’s sugar industry has successfully lobbied for legal protections that shield it from lawsuits. In 2021, Florida passed an expanded “Right to Farm” law, making it harder for residents to seek damages related to pollution from sugarcane burning.

Consumers Claim Deception, Demand Accountability

Macy Merrell, a California resident who filed the proposed class action lawsuit, alleges she was misled by Florida Crystals’ marketing, which prominently claims its farming practices “help save the planet” and “fight climate change.” 

Believing these claims, she purchased the company’s sugar but later discovered its reliance on pre-harvest burning. The lawsuit argues that Florida Crystals is profiting from deceptive greenwashing, enticing eco-conscious consumers to pay a premium for a product that does more harm than good.

According to the lawsuit, Florida Crystals is well aware of consumers’ desires to support sustainable products and is falsely capitalizing on that.

Environmental Lawsuits Target Corporations for Pollution and Misleading Claims

The lawsuit is part of a growing wave of environmental litigation aimed at holding corporations accountable for pollution and public harm. Eleven major oil and chemical companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Dow Chemical, are facing a lawsuit in Missouri over claims they knowingly misled the public about plastic recycling, allegedly driving increased plastic production while leaving municipalities with mounting sanitation costs.

In New York, the town of Bethlehem has sued Verizon for allegedly leaving lead-coated cables abandoned in the environment, posing health risks and violating environmental laws.

Meanwhile, Shell faces a lawsuit in Pennsylvania over emissions from its ethylene cracker plant, with residents claiming the pollution has damaged homes and worsened health conditions.

In the Florida Crystals greenwashing class action lawsuit, Merrell wants to represent consumers nationwide in her claims of violations of California business laws, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment. She is seeking damages, injunctive relief, fees, costs, and interest.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Merrell. v. Florida Crystals Corporation and Fanjul Corporation
• Case Number: 5:25-cv-02264
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Benjamin J. Fuchs, Ryan J. Clarkson, Bahar Sodaify, Kiryl Karpiuk (Clarkson Law Firm, P.C.)

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