'Research project will not harm district'

Addressing a press meet, he said World heritage sites and CAFNET projects are different. His clarification came in the wake of reports appearing in a section of the media here and allegations by Kodagu Belegarara Okkuta Secretary Madhu Boppanna that CAFNET Project is part of the world heritage sites.

He said there is no hidden agenda to declare coffee estates as forest under the proposed project. Instead, the project aims at showcasing the system of growing coffee to the world community. CAFNET was a project which mainly aimed at working with different stakeholders involved in the coffee industry, mainly the small and medium farmers trying to educate and empower them for producing coffee. The CAFNET project is in operation in seven coffee growing countries of the world which are also hot spots of biodiversity.

Research will be carried out in the catchment areas of Cauvery river in Kodagu for three years. The research team includes Coffee Board members, NGOs, Coffee Growers Society, farmers, SHG members.