Hot Potatoes
PepsiCo began the fight with potato farmers, but can the company end it?
May 2: PepsiCo India, a subsidiary of the $64 billion snack food and drinks major PepsiCo Inc., USA, announced a decision to withdraw all the cases it had filed against some farmers of Gujarat for unauthorised use of a potato variety developed by the company.
Four days later, the company withdrew the first case against two of the 11 farmers it had sued as it came up for hearing in a local court in Deesa, Gujarat. On May 10, PepsiCo obtained early hearing in its cases against four others in the Commercial Court of Ahmedabad and five in the District Court of Modasa and withdrew those legal suits too.
Given the severe criticism PepsiCo had to face
