1. Human rights and Coca-Cola:
In India, as a direct result of Coca-Cola bottling plants, there is drastic depletion of groundwater, which villagers and farmers depend on for their livelihood (India Resource).
Moreover, a BBC News Report noted that waste products from a Coke factory in Kerala had high levels of toxic metals such as cadmium and lead. This waste was sold to the farmers as fertilizer, which polluted the land and groundwater resources. Coca-Cola stopped the practice of distributing its toxic waste only when ordered to do so by the state government.
In El Salvador, Coca-Cola's sugar supplier has been noted to use child labour according to Human Rights Watch. Despite Coke's 2005 Press Release, Mark Thomas traveled to El Salvador and documented the usage of child labour (1).
In Colombia, the situation is much more complicated. George Sorger, one of the founders of Amnesty International Canada - Group 1, has provided us with a lecture that provides important information regarding Colombia's sociopolitical environment and how Coca-Cola plays a role. Click here to download it. The opinions article in the Sil discusses the issue further. Due to length, controversy regarding the 2008 ILO report and Court cases are here.
They will also be addressed in the showing of the Coca-Cola Case: Tuesday February 2nd, 7-9 PM in HSC 1A6. This film was co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
2. Financial Reasons
Although we interviewed members of the Board of Directors, they all suggested that we talk to the MSU President, Vishal Tiwari, as he was the most knowledgeable on the Coke issue. He noted that there was no exclusive Coke contract on the table. If an exclusive contract were to be signed, students would likely receive less benefits than the previous contract.
Due to a volume-target clause in the previous contract, John McGowan (the MSU manager) mentioned that the contract was extended until the end of the academic year. Hence the quotation "93 per cent of cold beverages on campus remain Coca Cola products" is misleading without the context as there has not been the opportunity to bring in competing alternatives.
3. The Right to Choice
In the scope of the referendum question, it is not within our power to ban Coca-Cola. We do not seek to ban Coca-Cola from campus but instead are advocating for the availability of more alternatives to Coca-Cola. We respect students' ability to think for themselves and to make their own choices about whether or not to consume Coca-Cola. During this referendum, we are fighting for the ability to make a choice to purchase alternatives to Coca-Cola from MSU services – whether it be from a personal, anti-monopoly, or a humanitarian perspective.
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Atkinson, Geoff and Sarah Macdonald dir. “Dispatches”: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola. Channel 4 News, 2007.
