The Impact of Coca Cola in India’s Water Supply

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Second, the amount of water used to make Coca-Cola products, referred to as the ‘water footprint’, is much more than the water used in the bottling plants. Cane sugar is a major component of Coca-Cola products in India, and as one of the largest procurers of sugar in India, Coca-Cola is well shy of achieving any balance with the water used the production of its sugar sweetened beverages.

The Water Foot Print Network has estimated that it takes 442 liters of water to make one liter of Coca-Cola using cane sugar, and 618 liters of water to make one liter of Coca-Cola product using High Fructose Corn Syrup.

These astounding numbers are not factored into the water replenishment announcement, and Coca-Cola’s claims fall flat if they were to be included – as they ought to be. The numbers used for their announcement are about 200 times less than the actual water footprint of Coca-Cola products.

One of the continuing challenges being faced by communities across India is that the Coca-Cola Company has continued to operate its bottling plants in severely water-stressed areas, as well as propose new plants in water-stressed areas where the communities have very limited access to potable water – a fundamental human right.

Any company that wants to establish itself as a responsible user of water would begin by not operating in water stressed areas, a demand that has been made of Coca-Cola but which the company seems to ignore because it will deprive it of profits and access to markets.

Conclusion

In Conclusion Coca-Cola makes a lot of claims and almost always produces fake statement to its own favorable cause, whether it is on water us or the health of the public, and this announcement on water replenishment is just that. Just last week, the company was exposed for setting up a front group, Global Energy Balance Network, to confuse the science around obesity.

Attempting to confuse and mislead regulators and scientific community is not new to Coca-Cola. In 2006, one of Coca-Cola’s lobbyists in India admitted that their job “was to ensure, among other things, that every government or private study accusing the company of environmental harm was challenged by another study.”

If Coca-Cola truly wishes to rebuild its reputation in India and mitigate the massive environmental damage caused by its operations, it must stop the greenwashing, stop exploiting depleted aquifers, and engage seriously with its critics and impacted communities.

References

Geense, M. (The Guardian). Retrieved June 11, 2014 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/18/indian-officals-coca-cola-plant-water-mehdiganj

Rana, p. (Wall street Journal). Retrieved Feb 110, 2016 https://www.wsj.com/articles/coca-cola-closes-plant-in-india-1455122537

Bahar, T (Russia times). Retrieved January 11, 2015 https://www.rt.com/news/167012-coca-cola-factory-closed-india/

Chaudary, A. (Bloomberg News) Retrieved October 8, 2014 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-08/farmers-fight-coca-cola-as-india-s-groundwater-dries-up

William, C. (Righttowater). Retrieved January 11, 2015 http://www.righttowater.info/rights-in-practice/legal-approach-case-studies/case-against-coca-cola-kerala-state-india/

Sarkari, J. (Times of India). Retrieved Oct 26, 2016http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Cokes-growth-in-India-loses-fizz/articleshow/55080997.cms

Srivistava A.(Global research). Retrieved august 25, 2015 http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-privatization-of-water-in-india-how-cocacola-destroys-the-aquifer/5472625

Patel, H. (Slide share). Retrieved January 28, 2014 https://www.slideshare.net/harshpatel103/hindustan-coca-colabeveragesprivatelimitedgoblej-37444932

Appendix

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