Pepsico wants farmers to lay-off its potatoes; NGOs ask govt to intervene

Farmers' groups have also sought immediate withdrawal of all cases against potato farmers initiated by PepsiCo

As the hearing in the ongoing legal battle between multinational food giant PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt Ltd (PIH) and potato farmers in Gujarat nears, a group of farmer organisations are mounting pressure for withdrawing the case.

Alleging violation of farmers' rights under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001 by PepsiCo, nearly 200 civil society representatives and farm leaders have written to the Centre for intervention. 

Earlier in the month, PepsiCo had sued four potato farmers from the Sabarkantha district of Gujarat for allegedly growing a variety of potato called FL 2027, also referred to as