The Coca‑Cola Company is committed to respecting human rights and continues to work with a range of stakeholders to help improve working conditions in the India sugarcane farming sector. Though our authorized bottlers purchase less than 1% of the total volume of sugar produced in Maharashtra, we are committed to driving progress and maximizing our influence and impact in the region to the extent possible through partnering with critical stakeholders such as suppliers, NGOs, peer companies and local communities.
This year, we refreshed and expanded our collaboration with Solidaridad in India—which began in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 2016 and Maharashtra in 2022—to introduce new health and safety and working condition measures at farms that supply the Maharashtra mills with which the Coca‑Cola system contracts. (See the Solidaridad site here). These measures include access to clean water, sanitation, shaded rest areas, ergonomic scythes, feminine hygiene products, and grievance mechanisms. We are also working with our partners to implement training for mill management and labor brokers to improve worker recruitment and labor conditions.
Additionally, we have further advanced a multi-year effort to help establish the Coalition for Responsible Sugar in India (CRSI), a multi-stakeholder group focused on driving improvements in working conditions and sustainable farming for the Indian sugarcane sector. (See the CRSI December 2024 update here). In January 2025, CRSI is expected to participate in the launch of a project to support migrant sugarcane farm workers at their districts of origin in advance of their migration to certain districts of Maharashtra. The project will aim to establish migration centers that provide pre-departure onboarding, worker rights education, first aid, health and safety training (including women’s health), links to government programs, and training for entrepreneurship, as well as improved access to grievance mechanisms.
While we’ve made progress, we acknowledge that more work is needed, and we remain committed to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to drive positive change and create meaningful impacts on the ground in India.
