Taking on Coca-Cola

What wrong with Coke?

The intent

“All of us in the Coca-Cola family wake up each morning knowing that every single one of the world’s 5.6 billion people will get thirsty that day. If we make it impossible for these 5.6 billion people to escape Coca-Cola, then we assure our future success for many years to come." – Coke's Annual Report (1993) Quoted in the Polaris Institute's Coca-Cola profile

So the rest is pretty straightforward...

In India, Coca-Cola

• Causes severe water shortages in communities across the country
• Pollutes groundwater and soil around its bottling facilities
• Distributes its toxic waste as ‘fertilizer’ to farmers
• Sells drinks with high levels of pesticides, including DDT—sometimes 30 times higher than European standards

In Colombia

• Union leaders at Coke’s bottling plants have be murdered
• Hundreds of union workers have been tortured, kidnapped and illegally detained
• Family members of trade unionists have been targeted
• All while Coke leaders launch a $250 million advertising blitz keyed to the theme, "Coca-Cola…Real.”

While at home, in the United States

• Markets junk food and compromises the health of millions of consumers, including children as a vulnerable target
• Protects its ability to promote junk food and its brand through influence peddling; Coke's influence-peddling activities cut across borders to Europe too
• Supports industry front groups like the Center for Consumer Freedom

What we are doing

MGA is helping build a New England-wide network of organizations targeting Coca-Cola. We see this as part of our effort to challenge corporate globalization and hold corporations accountable to communities. Our efforts on Coke are conducted as part of the "Our Communities, Our Water" campaign. We have organized workshops on Coke and public educational events. We are also supporting efforts by students and their allies to get Coke off campus.

What about Pepsi?

Anytime activists target a particular corporation, the inevitable question is, "What about the other guys?" This is a legitimate question given that corporations are not treated as real public trusts that are truly accountable to the states that charter them. In the case of Coke-related  campaigns, the practices of Pepsico, Inc. naturally come to light. There are campaigns that target both corporations or these together with others. The International Plastics Task Force, for example, has addressed both corporations' failure to use recycled materials. Indian campaigns on water and pesticides have often addressed both corporations. MGA's focus in this particular campaign is to hold Coke accountable in response to calls from sustained efforts around the world. If MGA members and allied organizations want to broaden the focus of the campaign, MGA will give their input due consideration.