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7 May 2019Asia

Pepsi drops litigation against Indian farmers

PepsiCo India is withdrawing its lawsuits against nine farmers in the Gujarat region who it accused of growing a protected variety of potato used to make the company’s ‘Lay’s’ brand of crisps.

In a statement sent to LSIPR, Pepsi confirmed that it was dropping its legal action after discussions with the Indian government.

“We are relying on the said discussions to find a long term and an amicable resolution of all issues around seed protection”, the PepsiCo India spokesperson said.

The news comes amid mounting criticism of the company’s actions in India. On Tuesday, April 30, LSIPR  reported that Pepsi had offered to settle the lawsuit after being accused of “exploiting” the farmers by a group linked to India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In its latest statement, Pepsi reiterated that it was “compelled to take judicial recourse to protect its registered variety” and that it had offered a “very amicable settlement” to the farmers.

It is not clear whether the two parties have reached a settlement in order to end the litigation.

Ashwani Mahajan, head of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, which is considered to be closely linked to the BJP, urged the Indian government to intervene in the case.

According to Mahajan, Pepsi was guilty of “coercing...intimidating and exploiting” the farmers through litigation.

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More on this story

Asia
30 April 2019   PepsiCo India is attempting to settle a lawsuit against four Indian farmers who the food and drink company say infringed its IP by growing a protected variety of potato.

More on this story

Asia
30 April 2019   PepsiCo India is attempting to settle a lawsuit against four Indian farmers who the food and drink company say infringed its IP by growing a protected variety of potato.