A VICTORY FOR FARMERS AGAINST PEPSICO. CHECK WHAT THEY HAVE AGREED TO!

It is a victory for farmers as PepsiCo has agreed to withdraw the cases. Earlier, PepsiCo has sued 9 farmers for allegedly growing its registered potato variety used for Lays chips. They were dragged to court. The Gujarat government has promised to back the farmers.

“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.

Anand Yagnik, the lawyer representing four farmers from Sabarkantha district who were sued for ₹1.05 crore each, said “an unconditional withdrawal of litigation would be a great victory for the downtrodden and small farmers against a major corporate power”, but noted that the company is yet to communicate its decision to the court or to the farmers and their lawyer.

“It is not stated when it will implement its decision,” he said. “It is important that no wrong precedent is set, given that this is a test case which could affect other farmers across the country.”

People have called for boycott of PepsiCo products after the case has been lodged, and it garnered criticism across social media and from political parties.