to review its top sugar suppliers to ensure that the company does not buy from large plantations that were assembled using “land-grab” tactics that evict small farmers or local residents in developing countries, the company announced this week.The soft drink company is taking the action on the urging of human rights group Oxfam.
As part of a series of commitments announced on its web site Thursday night, Coke also disclosed the names of its top individual sugar suppliers for the first time — Brazil’s Copersucar, Thailand’s Mitr Phol and Nigeria’s Dangote — and identified Brazil, Mexico and India as its top three national sources of the sweetener.
The soft drinks company also pledged to use its clout to encourage other food and beverage firms, traders – especially of soy, sugar and palm oil – as well as governments to endorse and implement voluntary UN guidelines on responsible governance of tenure on land, fisheries and forests.
"The Coca-Cola company believes that land grabbing is unacceptable," it said in statement.
"Our company does not typically purchase ingredients directly from farms, nor are we owners of sugar farms or plantations, but as a major buyer of sugar, we acknowledge our responsibility to take action and to use our influence to help protect the land rights of local communities."
