In a victory for Gujarat potato farmers dragged to court by PepsiCo for alleged rights infringement, the food and beverages giant says it has agreed to withdraw the cases. “After discussions with the Government, the Company has agreed to withdraw cases against farmers. We are relying on the said discussions to find a long term and an amicable resolution of all issues around seed protection,” said a PepsiCo spokesperson on Thursday. This decision applies to the nine farmers PepsiCo has sued over the last two years for allegedly growing its registered potato variety which is used for Lays chips. “It is important that no wrong precedent is set, given that this is a test case which could affect other farmers across the country.”The PepsiCo decision follows criticism from political parties and farmers rights groups, as well as boycott calls on global social media.

Source: The Hindu May 02, 2019 13:44 UTC