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Home--Press Press Pepsico's Attempts to "Buy" Credibility Backfires Posted: July 9, 2010 In a major embarrassment for food and beverage company Pepsico, the company's attempts to pay for blogging rights in a science-based blog have been rejected after an outpouring of protests on the blogosphere. On July 6, ScienceBlogs.com, a widely read blog, announced a partnership with Pepsico that would allow Pepsico to blog about, of all things, nutrition. The response to the announcement was immediate and almost universally negative, with writers for ScienceBlogs.com taking the lead. PRESS RELEASE Beverage Companies Form Lobby Group to Counter Criticism in India Posted: July 8, 2010 Beverage companies in India, led by Coca-Cola and Pepsico, have formed an alliance to counter the growing campaigns against the beverage industry. The Indian Beverage Association (IBA) has been formed to "create a singe point of interaction with the Indian government" and will serve as a lobbying organization modeled after the American Beverage Association (ABA), according to media reports. The IBA is expected to work on a number of critical issues facing the beverage industry currently in India, including the growing challenge from farmers objecting to water use by beverage companies, particularly in water stressed areas, water pricing, pollution, food safety, public health issues, marketing to children, labeling, misleading claims in advertisements and taxes. PRESS RELEASE Government Moves to Claim $48 Million Compensation from Coca-Cola Posted: July 2, 2010 In a major step towards holding Coca-Cola accountable for damages it has caused in India, the state government of Kerala decided on Wednesday to move forward with the formation of a tribunal that will hear and award compensation claims against the Coca-Cola company. Using the "polluter pays principle", the High Power Committee had recommended that Coca-Cola be held liable for Indian Rupees 216 crore (US$ 48 million) for damages caused as a result of the company's bottling operations in Plachimada. PRESS RELEASE Three Workers Killed In Coca-Cola Factory Explosion in India Posted: June 27, 2010 Three workers were killed and at least five others seriously injured at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Khurda in the state of Orissa in India on Friday. The workers were engaged in the maintenance of a boiler in the factory which exploded. Company officials in charge of the boiler operations were out to lunch when the explosion occurred, according to reports from local media and groups in the area. The bottling plant is operated by the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Atlanta based Coca-Cola company. OPINION Exporting Junk Food - Good for Business, Bad for Health Posted: June 4, 2010 Last month, in a bid to preempt any binding government action, sixteen food and beverage companies announced a pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories from their products in the US by the end of 2015 - ostensibly to fight obesity in the US. So it comes as a major disappointment that while companies like Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestle, Kraft Foods and the like have pledged commitments to reduce calorie intake and fight obesity in the US, these very companies are extremely busy ramping up their presence in the developing world, and China and India in particular. But if high-fat, high-sugar and highly processed foods are bad for the health of Americans, are they any good for people in India and China? PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Shareholders Warned of Liabilities in India Posted: April 21, 2010 It is only a matter of time before the Coca-Cola company will be held financially and criminally liable for their operations in water-stressed areas in India, Coca-Cola shareholders were told today at the company's shareholder meeting in Atlanta. "The company management is being seriously derelict in its duties by not acknowledging the real extent of the liabilities Coca-Cola has incurred and continues to incur in India," said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center, an international campaigning organization, at the shareholders meeting. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Liable for $48 Million for Damages Posted: March 22, 2010 In a major development, a High Power Committee established by the state government of Kerala in India has recommended today that Coca-Cola be held liable for Indian Rupees 216 crore (US$ 48 million) for damages caused as a result of the company's bottling operations in Plachimada. The report and recommendations were welcomed by activists who have challenged Coca-Cola's operations in Plachimada. Demanding compensation from the Coca-Cola company for the damages it has caused has been a central demand of the campaign from its inception. PRESS RELEASE Groundwater Levels Continue Downward Spiral Around Coca-Cola Plant Posted: March 11, 2010 The Coca-Cola company has continued to operate its bottling plant in Kala Dera in Jaipur, India even as the area has been declared a drought area last summer and the groundwater levels are falling sharply - leaving the largely agrarian community with severely restricted access to water. Data obtained this week by the India Resource Center from the Central Groundwater Board, a government agency, confirm that groundwater levels in Kala Dera fell precipitously again - a drop of 4.29 meters (14 feet) in just one year between August 2008 and August 2009, from 30.83 meters below ground level to 35.12 meters respectively. In the nine years prior to Coca-Cola's bottling operations in Kala Dera, groundwater levels fell just 3 meters. In the nine years since Coca-Cola has been operating in Kala Dera, the groundwater levels have dropped 22.36 meters. PRESS RELEASE Norway Campuses Reject Coca-Cola, Contract Not Renewed Posted: December 14, 2009 In another major victory for the international campaign against Coca-Cola, colleges and universities in Norway have decided not to renew the exclusive contract with Coca-Cola. Students across Norway have been campaigning to significantly restrict Coca-Cola's contract on campuses because of the company's mismanagement of water resources in India. Samskipnaden i Oslo (Foundation for Student Life in Oslo) made the decision not to renew Coca-Cola's exclusive contract and also restrict campus market share for new contracts to 80%, meeting both the student campaign demands. The primary contract, effective January 1, 2010, was awarded to Ringnes, and applies to colleges and universities across Norway. PRESS RELEASE Community Rallies Against Coca-Cola, Demands Climate Justice Posted: November 30, 2009 Armed with banners demanding "Climate Justice Now!" and "Shut Down Coca-Cola", over 2,000 villagers marched to the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj in India today demanding its closure. Villagers have accused the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj of worsening the water conditions in the area by over-extraction of groundwater as well as pollution. The community was also angered by Coca-Cola's decision to continue production and extraction of groundwater as the area faced severe drought this year and thousands of farmers experienced failed crops and water sources dried up. 2009 was the worst drought year for India in the last 40 years and June was the driest June in India in the last 80 years, a testament to a changing climate. OPINION Got Drought? Build a Coca-Cola Bottling Plant! Posted: September 24, 2009 Or at least that is the message if the Coca-Cola company is to be believed. There is a serious (and growing) disconnect between the ground reality in India as a result of Coca- Cola's operations and the company's statements churned out from their public relations department. The company is suggesting that groundwater levels around their embattled bottling plant in the desert are actually rising, and that Coca-Cola is producing enough water in that area to meet the basic drinking water needs for a million people - for an entire year! Really? Shouldn't the world then be building Coca-Cola bottling plants where we have drought? PRESS RELEASE Groundwater Levels Plummet Around Coca-Cola Bottling Plant Posted: September 4, 2009 Groundwater levels in Kala Dera, the site of Coca-Cola's controversial bottling plant in India, have plummeted 5.83 meters (19 feet) in just one year between May 2007 and May 2008, according to government data obtained by the India Resource Center from the Central Groundwater Board. Such a precipitous drop in a single year is unprecedented and has never been witnessed in Kala Dera. The area of Kala Dera has also been declared a drought area by the government last week, adding to the water shortages in the area. OPINION Reality Check for Coca-Cola's Public Relations Posted: April 16, 2009 Coca-Cola's shareholder meeting is coming up next week and it just so happens that the meeting is perfectly timed to be on Earth Day - April 22. Given our experience with Coca-Cola's public relations which has the uncanny ability to make things up, it would not surprise us if the company uses the timing of Earth Day to bolster its green credentials. For a company seeped in public relations - it spends in excess of $2.5 billion annually in marketing alone - the mantra seems to be that projecting a good image is more important than good practice. But if you lead with the make up world of public relations, chances are that at some point reality will check in, and check in it has for Coca-Cola. OPINION Providing the Facts for Mr. Tharoor on Coca-Cola in India Posted: March 23, 2009 Last month, key activists from Kerala who have succeeded in shutting down one of Coca-Cola's largest plants in India wrote an open letter to Mr. Shashi Tharoor deploring his role as an advisor to the recently formed Coca-Cola India Foundation. What followed was a response from Mr. Tharoor which confirmed that he is not aware of the facts surrounding Coca-Cola's operations in India. Mr. Tharoor - former UN Under Secretary General - has recently confirmed (at a Coca-Cola sponsored lecture, no less) his ambitions to become an elected member of Parliament of India. Mr. Tharoor's letter has evoked strong responses, including one from us. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Not Disclosing Financial Liabilities in India Posted: April 22, 2009 The Coca-Cola company is making a big mistake by not acknowledging the potentially large financial liabilities it continues to incur in India as a result of its water management practices, Coca-Cola company shareholders were told today. Two Coca-Cola bottling plants have already been shut down in India and two other plants face increasing opposition for creating water shortages and pollution. An assessment financed by Coca-Cola and released in January 2008 has found fault with Coca-Cola's water management and pollution practices around some plants in India. PRESS RELEASE Innocent No Longer Innocent Posted: April 7, 2009 Innocent - a UK based beverage company known for its ethical practices and providing natural and healthy beverages - has sold out. The Coca-Cola company is buying a £30 million stake in Innocent, representing between a ten to twenty percent share of Innocent. According to Innocent founders, the deal with Coca-Cola allows the company to expand its markets further into Europe. For the Coca-Cola company, no doubt, the deal goes a long way in its efforts to manufacture an image of itself that it clearly is not - a green, ethical company that sells natural and healthy products. Innocent's sell out comes close to a year after Coca-Cola purchased a forty percent stake in the US based organic beverage company, Honest Tea, in February 2008 in a deal estimated at about $43 million. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola, Others Charged With Greenwash Posted: December 3, 2008 The Coca-Cola company and other water companies including Pepsico and Nestle Waters were challenged in San Francisco by a broad coalition of groups, charging the companies with greenwashing and abusing water resources. The water companies were in San Francisco for a meeting entitled "Corporate Water Footprinting: Towards a Sustainable Water Strategy" on December 2 and 3, 2008 to ostensibly outline water conservation strategies. "A conference geared towards sustainable use of water is indeed welcome, but having the largest water abusers in charge is not," said Maude Barlow, chairwoman of the Council of Canadians and Senior Water Advisor to the United Nations. OPINION Coca-Cola's Latest Scam - Water Neutrality El Último Engaño de Coca-Cola- Agua Neutral Posted: November 25, 2008 The Coca-Cola company is up to its old tricks again. The company, which is under fire for its mismanagement of water resources in India, has gone all out to manufacture an image of itself as a global leader in water conservation. The Coca-Cola company is now embarking on their latest initiative to mislead the public - announcing its water neutrality goals. Becoming water neutral is impossible, and Coca-Cola is very well aware of this. But matters like that have never stopped the company from making preposterous claims, however misleading and troublesome they may be. La compañía Coca-Cola recurre otra vez a sus viejos trucos. La compañía, que está siendo acribillada por los malos manejos de los recursos de agua en India, ha puesto todas sus fuerzas en la fabricación de una imagen de sí misma como líder mundial en la conservación del agua. La compañía Coca-Cola ahora se está embarcando en su última iniciativa para confundir al público, anunciando metas para su neutralidad de agua. Llegar a ser agua neutral es imposible y Coca-Cola lo sabe muy bien. Sin embargo asuntos como este nunca han detenido a la compañía para emitir manifestaciones absurdas, por más engañosas y conflictivas que sean. PRESS RELEASE Norway Students Vote to Restrict Coca-Cola Posted: November 11, 2008 Students at the University of Oslo have voted overwhelmingly to restrict the dominant presence of Coca-Cola products on campus, and introduce ethical alternatives to Coca-Cola on campus. In a resolution passed yesterday at the University of Oslo Welfare Council (Velferdstinget I Oslo), the student body will now seek to restrict significantly the size of Coca-Cola's contract, offer alternative beverages that are ethical and fair trade as well as adopt more stringent criteria for ensuring that companies that do business with the University of Oslo have strong environmental and ethical records. The student body will also inform Coca-Cola of their decision to restrict Coca-Cola, citing the company's practices in India. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Sustainability Review Omits India Posted: October 28, 2008 The Coca-Cola company released its 2007/2008 Sustainability Review yesterday, and surprisingly, critical issues facing the company's operations in India do not find mention in the review. The Coca-Cola company gives itself high marks in its sustainability report which covers areas such as the workplace, environment and community engagement. However, the omission of the issues facing the company in India - various community campaigns accusing the company of creating water shortages and pollution - raise the question whether Coca-Cola's sustainability report is an attempt to manufacture a green image of itself rather than actually addressing the critical challenges facing the company's operations. PRESS RELEASE Compensation Claims Against Coca-Cola to Move Forward Posted: October 14, 2008 In a major development in the campaign against Coca-Cola in India, the Kerala Minister of Water Resources has agreed to set up a high- ranking committee to look into the compensation claims being made by the community who have been affected by Coca-Cola's operations in Plachimada in the state of Kerala in India. In a meeting held yesterday, the Kerala State Groundwater Authority agreed that the campaign demands for compensation from the Coca-Cola company hold merit and should move forward. The Kerala State Groundwater Authority recommended that the state government of Kerala establish a high-ranking committee that will look into the practical details of establishing compensation for community members in Plachimada affected negatively by Coca-Cola's practices. PRESS RELEASE Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola Posted: September 30, 2008 A new book revealing details of Coca-Cola's problematic practices globally, including India, has just been released. "Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola" is authored by Mark Thomas, a well known comedian and political activist from the UK. Mark Thomas traveled to several countries - India, Colombia, Turkey, El Salvador, Mexico, United States - to meet with and report on the campaigns against Coca-Cola. Mr. Thomas uses a campaigning brand of comedy to relay serious issues about Coca-Cola - the violent suppression of trade union leaders in Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia, the use of child labour in sugar cane fields in El Salvador, and the water shortages being experienced by farmers across India who live around Coca-Cola bottling plants. Speaking about his experience in India, Mark Thomas said, "The most impressive part about the campaigns against Coca-Cola in India has been the grassroots activism that has seen the poorest sections of the community leading and directing the struggles. Farmers and landless labourers have become spokespeople for the campaigns, often in a most articulate way." PRESS RELEASE Community Rallies for Coca-Cola Plant Closure Posted: August 26, 2008 Residents living around Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Kala Dera, near Jaipur in Rajasthan, India marched and rallied yesterday demanding the closure of the bottling plant. Nearly 60 villages surrounding Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Kala Dera have complained of severe water shortages since the bottling plant began operations in the area. "Why did Coca-Cola begin its operations in Kala Dera when the government had already confirmed that the communities are experiencing water shortages?," asked Rameshwar Kudi, a community leader with the Kala Dera Jan Sangharsh Samiti who has been leading the community campaign against Coca-Cola. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Plant Shut Down in Balia, India Posted: August 14, 2008 A community-led campaign had demanded the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sinhachawar because of indiscriminate pollution by the bottling plant as well as illegal occupation of land. The India Resource Center had led a fact finding team to the plant in June 2007 and found shocking incidences of pollution that were in complete violation of environmental laws and regulations in India. While the community knew that the plant had been un-operational since the fact finding visit, this is the first official confirmation of the closure. The bottling plant in Sinhachawar was a Coca-Cola franchisee owned unit operated by the Brindavan Bottlers Limited, which is owned by India's largest bottler of Coca-Cola, the Ladhani Group of Companies. OPINION China Olympics, Tibet Torture, Coca-Cola Profits Olimpiadas en China, Tortura en Tibet, Utilidades de Coca-Cola Posted: April 28, 2008 Responding to a question about Coca-Cola's sponsorship of the Olympic Torch Relay at the Coca-Cola shareholders meeting last week, Mr. Isdell, CEO of Coca-Cola, defended the sponsorship by referring to the Olympic Torch as a symbol of hope and openness. At about the same time, the Olympic Torch was being run in New Delhi, India. On hand were over 15,000 armed security personnel, including Indian paramilitary forces and Chinese security, and the public was largely banned from attending. Surely Mr. Isdell got it wrong? The Olympic Torch being paraded through a hastily shortened route in New Delhi surrounded by some of the tightest security the city has ever seen with the public largely kept away is hardly symbolic of the hope and openness that the Olympic Torch supposedly symbolizes. Respondiendo a una pregunta acerca del patrocinio de Coca-Cola en el Recorrido de la Antorcha Olímpica durante una reunión de accionistas de Coca-Cola, el Sr. Isdell, Presidente Ejecutivo de la firma, defendió el patrocinio refiriéndose a la Antorcha Olímpica como un símbolo de esperanza y apertura. Aproximadamente en ese mismo momento, la Antorcha Olímpica estaba pasando por Nueva Delhi, India. Estaban preparados más de 15,000 personas armadas de seguridad, incluyendo fuerzas paramilitares indias y personal chino de seguridad; al público en gran medida le fue prohibido asistir. ¡Ciertamente el Sr. Isdell entendió mal! La Antorcha Olímpica paseada a través de una ruta precipitadamente acortada en Nueva Delhi, rodeada de una seguridad tan fuerte como nunca vista en la ciudad, con el público mantenido a distancia, es difícilmente el símbolo de esperanza y de apertura que la Antorcha Olímpica supuestamente simboliza PRESS RELEASE Coke's Liabilities Increase in India, Shareholders Told Posted: April 16, 2008 Coca-Cola shareholders should be extremely concerned that the Coca-Cola company continues to increase its liabilities in India by engaging in unethical practices, shareholders were told at the Coca-Cola annual general meeting in Wilmington today. A recent study funded by Coca-Cola confirmed that the company's bottling plants contribute to severe water shortages around some of its bottling plants in India. The report also recommended the closure of a bottling plant in Kala Dera in Rajasthan and cautioned Coca-Cola on the declining water tables in Mehdiganj in Uttar Pradesh. PRESS RELEASE Major Protest Demands Coca-Cola Shut Down Plant Importante Protesta en Demanda del Cierre de una Planta de Coca-Cola Posted: March 31, 2008 Over 1500 villagers marched to the Coca-Cola company's bottling plant in Mehdiganj in Varanasi in India yesterday demanding that the bottling plant shut down immediately. Breaking a police barrier that attempted to keep the protesters 300 meters from the bottling plant, the villagers held a rally at the plant's gate accusing the company of creating severe water shortages in the area and polluting the water and land. The march and rally against Coca-Cola in Mehdiganj in the latest in a series of protests against the company in India where communities have accused Coca-Cola bottling plants for exacerbating the water crises through heavy extraction of water from the groundwater resource and polluting the groundwater and soil. Más de 1500 pobladores marcharon ayer hacia la planta embotelladora de Coca-cola en Mehdiganj, Varanasi, India en demanda del cierre inmediato. Traspasando una barrera policial que pretendía mantener a los manifestantes a una distancia de 300 metros de la planta embotelladora, los pobladores de la villa realizaron una demostración de fuerza en las puertas de la planta, acusando a la compañía de haber creado una severa escasez de agua en el área y de haber contaminado el agua y los terrenos. OPINION Coca-Cola: A Model for Good Public Relations, Not Sustainability Posted: March 28, 2008 The Coca-Cola company and its CEO, Mr. Neville Isdell, must be congratulated for some excellent public relations work lately, and in particular, in India. Neville Isdell was the "guest editor" of the Economic Times on March 17, 2008 and he used the platform provided him to pull off a wonderful public relations coup that would make marketing textbooks - create an image of itself that it clearly is not. The Economic Times published an opinion by us setting the record straight. OPINION Coca-Cola's Own Report Implicates Company for Abuses in India El Propio Informe de Coca-Cola Involucra a la Compañía por Abusos Posted: March 17, 2008 The Coca-Cola company has continued to accuse us of making erroneous statements "not based on facts" and have claimed that the only reason they are targets of the campaign is because they are a well known brand. Earlier this year, however, Coca-Cola got a rude awakening when an assessment of their operations in India that they paid for and conducted by an ally of Coca-Cola validated what the communities have been saying all along. La compañía Coca-Cola continúa acusándonos de divulgar hechos erróneos "que no están basados en la verdad" y ha declarado que la única razón de que ella sea el blanco de la campaña es debido a que es una marca bien conocida. A principios de este año, Coca-Cola fue sacudida fuertemente cuando una evaluación de sus operaciones en India, costeada por ellos y realizada por uno de los aliados de la compañía, certificó lo que las comunidades han estado diciendo todo el tiempo. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Ally Recommends Bottling Plant Closure in India Posted: January 15, 2008 In a major blow to the Coca-Cola company in India, a report by its ally, the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), has called for the closure of one of its bottling plants in India - in the village of Kala Dera in the state of Rajasthan. Citing the widespread water shortages being experienced by villages around Coca-Cola's bottling plant, the report by TERI released yesterday recommends that either the Coca-Cola bottling find alternative sources of water - a highly impractical option - or either relocate or shut down the plant altogether. The report came as the result of high profile student-led campaigns in the US, Canada and the UK. The report by TERI is a damning indictment of Coca-Cola's operations in India. PRESS RELEASE Community Protests Coca-Cola Plant in India Posted: October 25, 2007 Over 600 people marched and rallied against the Coca-Cola bottling plant in the village of Sinhachawar in Ballia district in India yesterday, demanding that the plant be shut down permanently. The community has accused the bottling plant of pollution and also illegally occupying land held by the village assembly. A visit by community members to the factory premises in May 2007 found the bottling plant indiscriminately dumping its hazardous waste inside and outside the factory premises. PRESS RELEASE Criminal Charges Against Coca-Cola Likely in India Posted: October 15, 2007 The state government of Kerala has initiated the process of filing criminal charges against the Coca-Cola company for pollution. In a notice to the Coca-Cola company on Friday, October 12, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board has asked the company to show cause as to why a criminal case should not be filed against it for polluting the environment. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Loses University of Illinois Contract Posted: August 6, 2007 The Coca-Cola company has lost its contract with the University of Illinois, giving another boost to the international campaign against Coca-Cola. Students and faculty at the University of Illinois, a prestigious public university with over 40,000 students, have campaigned for over two years to end the 10-year, exclusive “pouring rights” agreement with Coca-Cola because of the company's unethical practices in India and globally. OPINION Indian Campaign Forces Coca-Cola to Announce Ambitious Water Conservation Project Posted: July 30, 2007 The Coca-Cola company has recently announced, to much fanfare, a three-year, US$20 million partnership with the World Wildlife Fund on water conservation. At face value, such an announcement is obviously welcome. After all, who would object to water conservation projects in a world where over 1 billion people still lack access to clean drinking water? But the announcement by Coca-Cola deserves scrutiny - something sorely lacking from the media and even NGO's - primarily because it is the Coca-Cola company that is announcing water conservation projects. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Undermines UN Global Compact Posted: July 4, 2007 The inclusion of the Coca-Cola company in the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit -underway in Geneva on July 5 and 6 - has seriously undermined the credibility and effectiveness of the Global Compact. The United Nations Global Compact is the world's largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative with a goal to create a "more sustainable and inclusive global economy". The Coca-Cola company, which continues to violate a number of the UN Global Compact principles in its operations in India, is set to deliver a keynote address at the Leaders Summit, making a mockery of corporate social responsibility. PRESS RELEASE Major Protest at Coke Museum in Atlanta Posted: June 30, 2007 The India Resource Center organized a protest at Coca-Cola's new World of Coke museum to bring attention to the company's human rights and environmental abuses. "The World of Coke museum is a fairy tale land, and the real side of Coke is littered with abuses. We are here to set the record straight." Protesters also delivered a large picture of a protest against Coca-Cola in India as an exhibit to be added to the museum. PRESS RELEASE Communities Protest Against Coca-Cola Plant in India Posted: June 6, 2007 More than 400 people marched and rallied at the Varanasi District Magistrate's office yesterday demanding that the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj be shut down. Braving the scorching heat, residents of more than twenty villages arrived in Varanasi to rally and deliver a letter to the District Magistrate, Mrs. Vina Kumari Meena, bringing attention to the growing water shortages in the area and pollution of the groundwater and land - directly as a result of Coca-Cola's bottling operations in Mehdiganj. The letter specifically asks for the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj. Data from the Central Ground Water Board of India has confirmed that groundwater levels have dropped in the area since Coca-Cola started operations in the area in 1999. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Continues Environmental Abuses in India Coca-Cola Continúa con sus Abusos Ambientales en India Posted: June 4, 2007 In a shocking finding, another Coca-Cola bottling plant in India has been found to be operating in complete violation of environmental laws and regulations in India. A fact-finding team led by the India Resource Center to a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sinhachawar in the state of Uttar Pradesh issued a report today detailing the violations. Specifically, the team found that the plant is indiscriminately dumping its sludge, considered to be industrial hazardous waste, across the plant premises, in complete violation of the laws regarding handling and disposal of industrial hazardous waste in India. The Effluent Treatment Plant was non-operational, and the bottling plant was discharging its wastewater into surrounding agricultural fields and a canal that feeds into the river Ganges. The plant did not disclose the amount of hazardous waste being used and generated, as required by the Supreme Court of India for all industrial units in India that deal with hazardous waste. PRESS RELEASE Smith College Kicks Coca-Cola Off Campus Posted: May 30, 2007 In another victory for the International Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable, Smith College in the US has decided not to renew its contract with the Coca-Cola company. The president of Smith College, Carol T. Christ, made the announcement in a letter to Coca-Cola yesterday. The decision by Smith College specifically bars the Coca-Cola company from participating in the upcoming soft drink bidding process. Coca-Cola's seven year contract with Smith College expires on August 31, 2007 PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Rapped at Shareholders Meeting for Not Disclosing Liabilities in India Posted: April 18, 2007 The Coca-Cola company has been accused of misleading its shareholders by not disclosing the full extent of its liabilities in India at its shareholder meeting today. "The Coca-Cola company has finally admitted that it has made mistakes in India but Coca-Cola has not fixed those mistakes. We will continue to increase the pressure on the Coca-Cola company until it is held accountable for the past and present mistakes in India," said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center who spoke at the shareholders meeting on behalf of the communities in India campaigning against Coca-Cola. OPINION Coca-Cola Funded Group Investigates Coca-Cola in India Grupo Financiado por Coca-Cola Investiga a Coca-Cola en India Posted: April 16, 2007 The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the group that is assessing Coca-Cola's operations in India, has a long and cushy history with the Coca-Cola company. Coca-Cola India is an active funder of TERI and is listed as a corporate sponsor of TERI. TERI has named Coca-Cola as among the most responsible companies in India in 2001. Groups in India campaigning against Coca-Cola have rejected the choice of TERI as the independent assessor of Coca-Cola's operations in India. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Booted from the University of Guelph Posted: April 5, 2007 Students at the University of Guelph in Canada have voted to remove Coca-Cola products from campus because of the company's unethical practices in India and Colombia. A referendum calling for replacing Coca-Cola products with "an alternate beverage supplier" received 65% of the votes last week. Coca-Cola's 10-year contract with the University of Guelph is set to expire in August 2007, and it seems very unlikely that it will be renewed given the student mandate. "Students have voiced their opinions loudly and clearly. We want ethical choices on this campus," said Becky Wallace of the Central Student Association at the University of Guelph. "We are breaking our brand loyalty to Coca-Cola and standing up for human rights and the environment in India and Colombia," she said. PRESS RELEASE Icon of Anti Coca-Cola Struggle, Mailamma, Passes Away Posted: January 7, 2007 It is with great sorrow that we announce that Ms. Mailamma, the leader of the anti-Coca-Cola struggle in Plachimada in Kerala, passed away on January 6, 2007. Mailamma was a central figure in the campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable for water shortages and pollution in the area, and it was under her leadership that the community forced the Coca-Cola bottling plant to shut down in March 2004. Mailamma, a member of the Eravalar tribe, was a champion of human rights, and she was the founder of the Coca-Cola Virudha Samara Samiti (Anti Coca-Cola Struggle Committee) in Plachimada which has spearheaded the campaign against Coca-Cola. PRESS RELEASE Facing Imminent Defeat, Coca-Cola Tries to Set Terms in India Posted: January 5, 2006 In a bold move, the Coca-Cola company in India has demanded that either they be allowed to re-open the closed factory in Plachimada immediately or they be allowed to shift the factory to a nearby industrial estate. The campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable is accusing the Coca-Cola company of trying to wriggle out of the major liabilities it has incurred in India. In a closed door meeting with Kerala state government officials on January 3, 2006, Coca-Cola company officials insisted that they had met all the conditions in order to obtain the necessary license to operate and that they were the target of a “misguided campaign.” PRESS RELEASE Swarthmore College Bans Coca-Cola Posted: November 30, 2006 US based Swarthmore College has announced that it will remove all Coca-Cola products from campus as a result of the international campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable for its crimes in India and Colombia. Swarthmore College has also called on the company to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of water abuses in India, as well as anti-union violence in Colombia. PRESS RELEASE Court Dismisses Criminal Charges Against Coca-Cola Protesters Posted: November 28, 2006 All criminal charges filed against Coca-Cola protesters in India were dismissed by a court in Varanasi, in north India today. The criminal charges were filed by the state government of Uttar Pradesh against four protesters after a major demonstration against the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj on November 24, 2004. The criminal cases against community leaders were designed to intimidate and subdue the growing community opposition to the Coca-Cola company, according to community leaders. "Coca-Cola is the real criminal as it steals water from us, poisons our water and soil, evades taxes and illegally occupies land. We demand that criminal charges should be brought against the company." PRESS RELEASE Court Decision to Quash State Ban on Coca-Cola and Pepsi Questioned Posted: September 22, 2006 Groups in India are questioning a High Court order which overturned the state government ban on the sale and production of Coca-Cola and Pepsico products in the south Indian state of Kerala today. In an order issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice V. K Bali and Justice M. Ramachandran, the Kerala High Court ruled that the state government had no power under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) to ban food products. The court did not examine whether the soft drinks contained pesticides. PRESS RELEASE "Water Rights" Tour Begins in India Posted: September 11, 2006 A 3-week long tour to assert community rights over water began yesterday in Mehdiganj, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The tour was flagged off at Mehdiganj, the site of one of Coca-Cola's bottling plants in India which has been accused of creating severe water shortages and pollution. The tour will go through most of the state of Uttar Pradesh, stopping at both Coca-Cola and Pepsico plants in the state to bring attention to the water shortages and pollution being caused by the companies. OPINION Arrogance and Impunity - Coca-Cola in India Arrogancia e Impunidad - Coca-Cola en India Posted: August 10, 2006 How long will it take before the powers that be in India refuse to allow multinationals to treat Indians as guinea pigs? In what can only be characterized as arrogance and impunity, we are learning that Coca-Cola and Pepsi have continued to sell soft drinks in India with dangerously high levels of pesticides - three years after even the government of India confirmed that these products were dangerous. Perhaps the cola companies know something that we do not? Are Indians immune to high levels of pesticides? It is time for the cola companies to provide details of the studies they must have conducted to convince themselves that the average Indian can consume pesticides safely at levels 24 times the average American and European. PRESS RELEASE Dangerous Pesticides in Coca-Cola and Pepsi in India Plaguicidas Peligrosos en Productos de Coca-Cola y Pepsi en India Posted: August 4, 2006 Coca-Cola and Pepsico carbonated drinks in India contain dangerously high levels of pesticides, according to a new study released yesterday by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a leading public interest research and advocacy group in India. CSE tested 57 samples of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo carbonated products from 25 different bottling plants across 12 states and found pesticide residues in all samples. The study found a "cocktail of between three to five different pesticides in all samples." On an average, the pesticide residues were 24 times higher than European Union (EU) standards and those proposed by the Bureau of India Standards (BIS), the government body responsible for standardization and quality control. PRESS RELEASE Villagers Begin Hunger Strike to Close Coca-Cola Plant in India Posted: June 23, 2006 Community leaders from Mehdiganj in north India began a hunger strike today to demand the closure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant. Community leaders have accused the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj of creating severe water shortages affecting over twenty villages, polluting agricultural land and groundwater, illegally occupying land, evading taxes and treating workers unfairly. The hunger strike comes exactly 3 months after the community initiated an indefinite vigil directly in front of the Coca-Cola factory. Community leaders have been frustrated by the lack of action from the government, and have embarked upon the hunger strike to emphasize the severity of the situation facing the communities. PRESS RELEASE Kerala Government Assures Proactive Action Against Coca-Cola Posted: June 19, 2006 In a major breakthrough for the campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable, the newly elected state government of Kerala has assured community leaders that the government will take proactive measures against the Coca-Cola bottling plant in south India. Key community leaders met with the Chief Minister, Mr. V. S. Achutanandan, and cabinet members on June 15 and submitted a memorandum outlining their demands, including the permanent shut down of the Plachimada bottling plant, compensation to affected community members and the prosecution of the Coca-Cola company for criminal offences. The meeting resulted in significant commitments from the state government towards resolving the crisis. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Challenged at Shareholders Meeting Posted: April 20, 2006 The Coca-Cola company came under attack at its shareholder meeting for not disclosing the full extent of the liabilities the company has incurred in India. India Resource Center and allies challenged the company for misleading its shareholders, and insisted that the campaign will continue to strengthen until the company genuinely addresses the concerns in India. OPINION Coca-Cola Misleading Public on Water Issues Posted: April 6, 2006 The Coca-Cola company is placing full page advertisements in campus newspapers across the US - suggesting that the company is a leading steward of water resources. The India Resource Center responds by stating the facts - which tell a very different story, a story of an extremely unsustainable relationship with water. OPINION Coca-Cola: Poisoning Water, Land and People Envenena el Agua, la Tierra y la Gente Posted: March 14, 2006 The World Water Forum meets in March in Mexico to discuss sustainable uses of water. The Coca-Cola company is one of the leading sponsors, and the India Resource Center wonders what the company - which poisons water, land and people - is doing at the Forum. OPINION Coca-Cola and Water - An Unsustainable Relationship Coca-Cola y el Agua - Una Relación Insostenible Posted: March 8, 2006 The World Water Forum will be meeting in March in Mexico to discuss sustainable uses of water. The Coca-Cola company is one of the leading sponsors, and the India Resource Center wonders what the company - a major abuser of water resources - is doing at the Forum. PRESS RELEASE Facing Imminent Defeat, Coca-Cola Tries to Set Terms in India Posted: January 5, 2006 In a bold move, the Coca-Cola company in India has demanded that either they be allowed to re-open the closed factory in Plachimada immediately or they be allowed to shift the factory to a nearby industrial estate. The campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable is accusing the Coca-Cola company of trying to wriggle out of the major liabilities it has incurred in India. In a closed door meeting with Kerala state government officials on January 3, 2006, Coca-Cola company officials insisted that they had met all the conditions in order to obtain the necessary license to operate and that they were the target of a “misguided campaign.” PRESS RELEASE University Suspends Business with Coca-Cola for Crimes in India, Colombia Posted: December 30, 2005 The University of Michigan has suspended its business relationship with the Coca-Cola company because of the company's egregious human rights and environmental practices in India and Colombia. In a letter dated December 29, the university noted that the Coca-Cola company had failed to agree to a protocol for an investigation into issues in India and Colombia, and that the University of Michigan "temporarily suspend(s) University purchasing of Coca-Cola products beginning January 1, 2006." PRESS RELEASE Another Major Rally Against Coca-Cola in India Posted: December 12, 2005 Over 1,500 villagers marched on Sunday to the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Kala Dera, in Rajasthan in north India, demanding that the plant shut down immediately. The villagers started marching towards the bottling plant with intentions to shut down the factory by locking it down, and were met by a strong police presence. About 200 people were arrested and later released. PRESS RELEASE Over 800 Protest Coca-Cola in India Posted: November 30, 2005 In another show of growing discontent with Coca-Cola's bottling operations in India, over 800 community members marched on Wednesday, November 30, to Coca-Cola's factory gates in Mehdiganj in northern India, demanding that the factory shut down immediately. The major demonstration comes exactly a year after another major protest against the plant, in November 2004, where protesters were severely beaten by the police and over 350 detained. PRESS RELEASE State Government Challenges Coca-Cola's Bottling Operation in India Posted: November 28, 2005 In a move that could shut down one of Coca-Cola's largest bottling plant in India permanently, the Kerala state government has notified the area where one of Coca-Cola's largest bottling plants is located, in Plachimada in Perumatty panchayat in southern India. Having declared the area as "over-exploited" in its water resources, the state government notified the area under the Kerala Groundwater Control and Regulation Act- to regulate the use of groundwater due to scarcity. As a result of the notification, Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Plachimada, which has remained shut down since March 2004 due to community pressure, will now have to seek additional clearances in order to draw groundwater. PRESS RELEASE Major Protest Planned Against Coca-Cola in India Posted: November 27, 2005 A major protest is planned against a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj, near Varanasi, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India, on Wednesday, November 30, 2005. Community members and supporters will converge in Mehdiganj to protest Coca-Cola's operations in the area that is causing severe hardships to the community, including water scarcity, polluted groundwater resources and land as well as violence and false criminal charges directed at community leaders opposed to the bottling plant. PRESS RELEASE Icon of Coca-Cola Campaign Receives Speak Out Award Posted: October 11, 2005 The India Resource Center congratulates Ms. Mayilamma of Plachimada for receiving the prestigious Speak Out Award on October 8, 2005 in New Delhi, India. The award, instituted by the Outlook magazine, honors individuals who have spoken out for a cause. Ms. Mayilamma has been a central figure in the community-led campaign in Plachimada in southern India to challenge the Coca-Cola company. PRESS RELEASE Strathclyde University Department of Geography and Sociology Bans Coca-Cola and Nestle Posted: October 3, 2005 At its first meeting of the academic year, the Department of Geography and Sociology at Strathclyde University decided to adopt an ethical purchase policy with a presumption in favour of fair trade products. In addition, the Department resolved to boycott products made by two of the world's most controversial corporations: Coca-Cola and Nestle. PRESS RELEASE Election Results Sound Defeat for Coca-Cola Company Village Council Opposed to Coca-Cola Resoundingly Re-Elected in India Posted: September 30, 2005 Coca-Cola has lost in India yet again, this time at the polls. In a resounding victory for the campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable, constituents voted on September 26 to keep the incumbent panchayat (village council) leadership in Perumatty panchayat in Kerala in southern India. The election results confirm that the majority of the local population is opposed to the Coca-Cola bottling plant. PRESS RELEASE Kerala State Joins Community in Challenging Coca-Cola's Use of Water State Defends Village Council Decision to Revoke Coca-Cola License Posted: September 15, 2005 In another major defeat for the Coca-Cola company in India, the state government of Kerala has challenged the company's right to use groundwater in the Supreme Court of India, arguing that water is being taken from poor communities to produce drinking water for the rich. The state government of Kerala has specifically appealed a Kerala High Court ruling of April 7, 2005 that allowed the Coca-Cola company to extract 500,000 liters of water per day, under normal rainfall conditions. PRESS RELEASE State Agency Orders Coca-Cola to Shut Down Coca-Cola Linked to Bribery Scandal Posted: August 19, 2005 In a major setback for the Coca-Cola company, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board has ordered the company's bottling plant in south India to "stop production of all kinds of products with immediate effect." The Coca-Cola company, in direct contravention of Indian laws, had resumed "trial" operations at its Plachimada bottling facility in southern India on August 8, 2005. The bottling plant, one of Coca-Cola's largest, has been shut down since March 2004 because of community opposition. In a related development, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in Kerala raided the residences of Pollution Control Board member-secretary K.V. Indulal in three cities in Kerala on August 11, 2005. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is investigating Mr. Indulal for accepting bribes while he was a member of the Pollution Control Board. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Protesters Attacked By Police; Four Hospitalized Posted: August 16, 2005 Close to 100 activists from Yuvajana Vedi, youth wing of the CPI(ML), and their allies marched to Coca-Cola's factory gates in Plachimada in Kerala in southern India, demanding that the bottling plant shut down permanently. The protesters were stopped about 100 meters from the factory gates, and the heavy police force resorted to a violent lathi charge (baton charge), severely injuring four activists who had to be hospitalized with severe head injuries. Another 43 activists were held in custody, including a 16 year old girl who has been transferred to juvenile home. PRESS RELEASE Major Rally Against Coca-Cola in India Communities Oppose Proposed Coca-Cola Bottling Plant Posted: August 10, 2005 In a major show of force, over 1,500 people rallied against a proposed Coca-Cola bottling plant in Gangaikondan village in Tirunelveli district in southern India on August 9, 2005. Communities from across the southern state of Tamilnadu converged in Gangaikondan to oppose a proposal by South India Bottling Company Private Limited (SIBCL) - a Coca-Cola franchisee - to set up an Indian Rupees 280 million (US$ 6.5 million) soft-drinks unit in the village. PRESS RELEASE Report Indicts Vedanta Resources for Flagrant Human Rights, Environmental Violations Posted: August 3, 2005 A new report published today, Ravages through India, highlights the egregious violations of human rights, environment and the law by Vedanta Resources plc, a publicly traded metals and mining company on the London Stock Exchange. The report, published by the US-based India Resource Center and the UK-based Nostromo Research, comes on the day of Vedanta Resources' shareholder meeting in London on August 3, 2005. PRESS RELEASE Indian State Takes Coca-Cola to Court; Sales Drop 14% in Summer Posted: July 22, 2005 The state government of Kerala, in southern India, is taking the Coca-Cola company to court over its abuse of groundwater. The state government has decided to move the Supreme Court of India challenging Coca-Cola's right to extract groundwater. The announcement, made yesterday by Local Self-Government Minister Kutty Ahmed Kutty, specifically challenges an earlier, April 7 Kerala High Court ruling that allowed the company to extract up to half million liters of water per day for its Plachimada bottling plant. The High Court had also instructed the local village council (panchayat) to renew Coca-Cola's license. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Threatens Top Indian Photographer with Lawsuit Posted: July 12, 2005 The Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Atlanta based Coca-Cola company, has threatened Mr. Sharad Haksar, one of India's celebrated photographers, with a lawsuit. Mr. Haksar, a leading international photographer and winner of the 2005 Cannes Silver Lion, has placed a large billboard in one of Chennai's busiest areas - one of India's largest cities - with his own "work (which) is solely an expression of creativity." The billboard features the ubiquitous red Coca-Cola wall painting, commonly found across India. Directly preceding the Coca-Cola ad, and part of the billboard, is a dry water hand-pump, with empty vessels waiting to be filled up with water - a common scene in India, particularly in Chennai. PRESS STATEMENT Bhopal Survivors Draw Parallels to Coca-Cola Campaign Posted: June 22, 2005 Those of us who lived through the world's worst industrial disaster do not find it outlandish or misleading to compare Coke's potential legacy in India to that of Bhopal. Thousands of Indians have been affected by Coke's reckless pollution of the soil and groundwater, and so long as Coke refuses to accept responsibility for its pollution as Union Carbide has refused to in Bhopal thousands will suffer. Coke's devastating legacy in India is no small matter not only have thousands been poisoned, but Coke's practices have destroyed the basis upon which thousands of farmers subsist: access to water and fertile soil. PRESS STATEMENT Coca-Cola Led Commission Rejected by International Campaign Against Coca-Cola Posted: July 5, 2005 The India Resource Center is deeply concerned about the bias already evident in the 'commission' meeting taking place in Chicago on July 7th, 2005 between university administrators and Coca-Cola company officials. The purpose of the commission, according to the official notification of the meeting, is "to develop a plan for third-party, independent investigations of the concerns that have been raised regarding conditions at the Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia and India." The commission includes representatives from the Coca-Cola company, universities and selected 'expert' organizations. No representatives from India and Colombia raising concerns about Coca-Cola's activities have either been invited or informed. The idea of the commission and its composition has been decided by a handful of university administrators and Coca-Cola company representatives. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Placed on Probation By University of Michigan Major Victory by Students Demands Justice for Communities in Colombia and India Posted: June 20, 2005 The University of Michigan is placing the Coca-Cola company on probation until August 2006 for the company's egregious actions in Colombia and India. The major setback for the Coca-Cola company comes after a 10 month investigation into Coca-Cola's crimes in India and Colombia by the Dispute Review Board (DRB), an advisory body set up by the University of Michigan. The DRB looked specifically into the issue of whether the Coca-Cola company violated the University of Michigan's Vendor Code of Conduct through its actions in India and Colombia. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Backs Out from Sponsoring Live 8 Concerts Posted: June 20, 2005 The Coca-Cola company will not be sponsoring the Live 8 concerts, the India Resource Centre has learnt. "We welcome the news that Coca-Cola will indeed not be using the Live 8 concert to whitewash their crimes against humanity in Colombia and India," said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Centre. It was initially reported on June 14 that Coca-Cola was being secretly courted by the organizers of Live 8 as a sponsor for the concerts slated for July to support the mobilizations against the G8 meetings taking place in Scotland. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Must Not Sponsor Live 8 Coca-Cola's Egregious Record in India and Colombia Antithetical to Live 8 Goals Posted: June 15, 2005 The India Resource Centre and its allies are expressing serious concerns over news that Live 8 is in negotiations with the Coca-Cola company to seek sponsorship for the Live 8 concert. Coca-Cola's sponsorship of Live 8 is completely antithetical to the goals of Live 8 and the India Resource Centre and its allies are demanding that Live 8 organizers immediately discontinue negotiations with the Coca-Cola company. PRESS RELEASE Village Council Rejects Coca-Cola License, Company Fined for Tax Evasion Made in India Coke Products Denied Entry into United States Posted: June 14, 2005 Coca-Cola has been unable to obtain a license for one of its largest bottling plants in India, and the plant has remained shut down due to community pressure since March 2004. In yet another major blow for the Coca-Cola company in India, the Perumatty panchayat (village council) on Monday rejected Coca-Cola's fresh application for a license to operate its factory for two years in Plachimada, in southern India. The rejection of the license is the latest in a series of misfortunes for the company in India. Just last week, on June 6, the village council had offered Coca-Cola a license valid for three months and with thirteen conditions. The Coca-Cola company chose not to accept the license and the conditions, and instead, applied for a new, two-year license. PRESS STATEMENT Setting the Record Straight: India Resource Center Response to Wall Street Journal Article Posted: June 13, 2005 The formidable campaign against Coca-Cola is much, much more than the work of a "pony-tailed, 39-year-old college dropout." We welcome the feature article "How a Global Web of Activists Gives Coke Problems in India" by Steve Stecklow on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, June 7, 2005. Significantly, the Wall Street Journal story validates some of the concerns that have been raised by the campaign. "Coke officials acknowledge, for example, that they violated their own global safety standards by failing to conduct any toxicity tests on a dump site used by its biggest plant in India until after a Wall Street Journal reporter visited it in March." PRESS RELEASE 500 Arrested in Rally Against Coca-Cola in India Posted: June 9, 2005 Over 700 community members and supporters marched to the Coca-Cola factory gates on Wednesday, June 8, in Plachimada, Kerala, to demand that the plant be permanently shut down. The protesters were met at the gates by a large cordon of police officers, and close to 500 people were arrested. Police also attacked a woman protester, who had to be taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. All protesters were released by the end of the day. PRESS RELEASE Court's Decision Confusing, Anti-Coke Struggle to Intensify Posted: June 3, 2005 In an unprecedented move, a division bench of the High Court of Kerala on June 1, 2005 has directed the Perumatty panchayat (village council) to renew Coca-Cola's license to re-open its bottling plant in Plachimada, Kerala, in southern India. The High Court's decision is confusing because the Coca-Cola company has not met the conditions necessary by law to re-open its plant. Local groups in Plachimada and Kerala, along with national and international groups, have vowed to increase the pressure on the Coca-Cola company. PRESS STATEMENT Statement on May 6 Coca-Cola Meeting with University Officials and Students Posted: May 4, 2005 The Coca-Cola company, along with DePaul University, University of California and University of Illinois, has convened a meeting with college and university administrators and students on May 6, 2005 in Washington DC. The purpose of the meeting is to "to review issues that have been raised involving bottling plants for Coca-Cola Company products located in Colombia and India." Furthermore, "non-university outside parties" are not allowed to attend the meeting. The India Resource Center is concerned that the meeting will serve as a forum, once again, for the Coca-Cola company to misrepresent the facts surrounding Coca-Cola in India. PRESS RELEASE First Students, Now Faculty at Hofstra Vote to Throw Coke Out Posted: May 3, 2005 In a significant victory for the International Campaign to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable, the faculty at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York have voted overwhelmingly in favor of ending Coca-Cola's exclusive beverage contract with the university because of the company's human rights and environmental crimes in India and Colombia. The resolution, passed by the Full Faculty of Hofstra University, calls upon the Hofstra administration to not renew the exclusive vending contract with the Coca-Cola company. The vote comes less than two weeks after students at Hofstra University passed a referendum calling on the administration to discontinue the exclusive contract with Coca-Cola. The referendum received more votes than any candidate on the ballot. PRESS RELEASE Village Council Rejects Coca-Cola's Application to Resume Operations Posted: April 27, 2005 The Perumatty panchayat (village council) has rejected Coca-Cola's application to continue operations in Plachimada, in the southern state of Kerala in India. Perumatty panchayat officials indicated that the Coca-Cola company's application for license renewal did not include the necessary permits, including a permit from the Kerala Pollution Control Board. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Challenged on Human Rights Abuses Posted: April 20, 2005 Strong concerns over Coca-Cola's gross violations of human rights and depletion of water resources in Colombia and India dominated the company's annual general meeting on Tuesday, April 19 in Wilmington, Delaware. Close to twenty shareholders spoke on behalf of campaigns from India and Colombia, and Neville Isdell, chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola, resorted to ending the meeting rather than hear from fifteen more shareholders who were still waiting to speak. The shareholders inside Coca-Cola's shareholder meeting were joined by a loud group of protesters outside the meeting venue, with signs and banners proclaiming "Coca-Cola: Stop De-Hydrating the World" and "Coca-Cola: Destroying Lives, Livelihoods and Communities." PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Pulling an 'Enron' by Not Reporting Liabilities in India Posted: April 19, 2005 The Coca-Cola company is misleading its shareholders by not reporting serious liabilities the company has incurred in India. Coca-Cola is holding its Annual General Meeting in Wilmington on April 19, 2005, and over a hundred protesters will be speaking, both inside and outside the meeting, to bring attention to Coca-Cola's shortcomings. PRESS RELEASE Students Campaign to Ban Coca-Cola Products on Campuses Posted: April 19, 2005 Students in the United States and the United Kingdom have made significant gains in the international campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable. Student coalitions on college and university campuses have been focusing efforts to ban the sale of Coca-Cola products on campuses because of Coca-Cola's adverse human rights, labor and environmental practices in Colombia and India. Thirteen schools have already severed ties with the Coca-Cola company and more are expected to follow in 2005. MEDIA ADVISORY Protest at Coca-Cola Shareholder Meeting Posted: April 15, 2005 WHAT: PROTEST AT COCA-COLA SHAREHOLDER MEETING WHERE: DuPont Hotel, 11th and Market St, Wilmington, Delaware WHEN: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 9:30 am - 11 am PRESS RELEASE Court Ruling in India Does Not Allow Re-Opening of Coca-Cola Plant Posted: April 12, 2005 Recent reports, both by the media and non-governmental organizations, have misreported the April 7, 2005 ruling by a division bench of the High Court of Kerala. The High Court ruling does NOT allow Coca-Cola to re-open its bottling plant in Plachimada, in the south Indian state of Kerala. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Affected Community to Step Up Campaign, Despite Court Ruling Posted: April 8, 2005 In a surprising move, the High Court of Kerala has permitted Coca-Cola to extract up to 500,000 liters of water from the common groundwater resource per day at its Plachimada facility, in southern India. The bottling plant remains shut down for over a year now due to intense community pressure. The local village council, which rejected Coca-Cola's license to operate, now has 15 days to reconsider granting a license. The community has promised to fight all efforts to reopen the factory. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Not Shutting Plachimada Plant, Despite Reports Posted: March 29, 2005 Recent media reports in the Indian media suggesting that Coca-Cola has offered to close its plant in Plachimada are false. "As of today, we are not aware of any such offer made by Coca-Cola," said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center. "In fact, the Coca-Cola company is not in a position to decide whether to open or shut down its bottling plant in Plachimada," continued Srivastava. "That is left to the community and the village council, who have both decided, and now the court." PRESS RELEASE Speaking Tour Launches Month of Action Against Coca-Cola Posted: March 25, 2005 From April 4-19, a Speaking Tour to Hold Coca-Cola Accountable will hold public events on the East Coast, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Philadelphia, to bring attention to Coca-Cola's crimes against humanity- particularly in Colombia and India. The tour will also stop at Coca-Cola's shareholder meeting in Wilmington on April 19. April has been designated as the month of action against the Coca-Cola company for its crimes against humanity, and a series of events will be held around the world to demand justice for Coca-Cola affected communities. PRESS RELEASE Massive Support for Coca-Cola Campaign at World Social Forum Posted: January 30, 2005 On January 29, 2005, over 500 activists attended an overflowing workshop on the International Campaign Against Coca-Cola at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre in Brazil. One of the most popular workshops at the Forum, the international campaign has been strengthened considerably as a result of its participation at the World Social Forum, and hundreds of activists from around the world signed up to become part of the growing campaign. PRESS RELEASE Second Massive Protest Against Coca-Cola in India in New Year Posted: January 13, 2005 On January 15, 2005, over a thousand people are expected to take part in blockading the entrance to Coca-Cola's single largest bottling plant in India - in Plachimada, Kerala - to demand that the bottling plant shut down permanently. January 15 also marks the 1000th day anniversary of a permanent dharna (vigil) that has been set up directly in front of the factory gates by the local community groups rallying against the Coca-Cola plant in the southern state of Kerala. PRESS RELEASE Over 500 March to Condemn Violence at Coca-Cola Protest in Mehdiganj Posted: January 7, 2005 Over 500 community residents from Mehdiganj and surrounding villages marched towards the gates of Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Mehdiganj on January 6, 2005. Protesters marched with their mouths covered by black ribbons and their hands tied to specifically bring attention to the non-violent nature of the community-led campaign and to protest the violence directed at the demonstrators on November 24, 2004. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Greeted with Protest in New Year Posted: January 4, 2005 Communities affected by Coca-Cola's indiscriminate practices in India will greet the multinational company in the new year with a large protest on January 6, 2005 in Mehdiganj, near the holy city of Varanasi. Over a thousand community members are expected to take part in the protest- with black ribbons across their mouths and their hands tied. "We will come with our mouths shut and hands tied and still show our strength," according to one of the key organizers, Nandlal Master. PRESS RELEASE Police Attack Coca-Cola Protest, Over 350 Arrested Posted: November 25, 2004 A massive demonstration, with over 1,000 people, was held at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mehdiganj, Uttar Pradesh to demand that the bottling facility shut down. Armed police reacted violently, beating and injuring many, including many women. Over 350 people were arrested in an incident that is becoming part of a pattern in Coca-Cola's response to the growing resistance in India. PRESS RELEASE Thousands March and Rally Against Coca-Cola in India "Drinking Coke is Like Drinking Farmer's Blood in India" Posted: November 14, 2004 Thousands of people are expected to take part in the march and rally between two Coca-Cola bottling plants - in Ballia and Mehdiganj - both in the state of Uttar Pradesh, from November 15-24, 2004. The march will end will a large rally in Mehdiganj, near the holy city of Varanasi, on November 24. Marchers are calling for the revocation of Coca-Cola's license to operate because of severe hardships created for communities as a result of water shortages and pollution created by the Coca-Cola company. PRESS RELEASE Coca-Cola Challenged in UK on Human Rights, Labour and Environmental Issues Posted: October 12, 2004 A national tour is underway in Britain to challenge Coca-Cola's abusive practices in Colombia and India. Britain is one of Coca-Cola's largest markets in the world and Colombian and Indian organizers will be visiting seven cities in the UK to present the case against Coca-Cola and strengthen the campaign to hold Coca-Cola accountable in the UK. PRESS RELEASE Groups Confront Coca-Cola at Shareholders Meeting Posted: April 21, 2004 Coca-Cola's annual general meeting in Wilmington, Delaware was dominated by the presence of protesters both inside and outside the shareholders meeting. Groups concerned with Coca-Cola's negative human rights, environmental and labor practices let it be known that it is not business as usual. PRESS RELEASE More Than 500 Protest Coca-Cola at World Social Forum Posted: January 19, 2004 In a historic march on January 18, 2004, over 500 protesters marched and rallied to condemn Coca-Cola's operations in India. Protesters, including over 150 residents who live in and around Coca-Cola's bottling facilities in India, were joined by a large group of international supporters at the World Social Forum in Mumbai. The events were organized under the banner of People's Forum against Coca-Cola. PRESS RELEASE Massive Rally Against Climate Injustice Posted: October 28, 2002 More than five thousand people marched under the banner of the India Climate Justice Forum (ICJF) from the Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat in Delhi to protest against climate injustice. PRESS RELEASE Climate Impacted Communities Speak Out at Climate Justice Summit Posted: October 25, 2002 The India Climate Justice Forum (ICJF) will hold a parallel conference to highlight the serious deficiencies in the UN conference on climate change being held in New Delhi. The ICJF will hold the Climate Justice Summit -- consisting of workshops, panels and a rally -- from October 26-28 at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. |
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