U.S. biotech giant Monsanto Co. agreed Thursday to pay a $2.5 million fine for misbranding its cotton-seed products, the largest civil penalty ever enforced under a federal act that controls the sale and use of pesticides.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Monsanto distributed cotton-seed products that contained a genetically engineered pesticide banned from 10 counties in Texas for fear pests would become resistant to it.

Monsanto was required to label the products with an explanation of the ban. Get the full story »