(Updated on 07-29-2026)

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. 

Over the past years, we have taken the following steps to support the India sugarcane farming sector: 

• Solidaridad Partnership: Expanded our long-standing partnership with Solidaridad and International Finance Corporation in India — which began in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 2016, Karnataka in 2019, and Maharashtra in 2022 — to enhance health, safety, and working conditions for local farmers, providing access to clean water, sanitation, shaded rest areas and ergonomic tools, and feminine hygiene products, alongside training for improved labor practices. The implementation of good agricultural practices led to increased yield and farmer income while promoting water efficient practices. Since its launch, the program has directly engaged over 100,000 sugarcane farmers and workers. In Maharashtra state, this program, called Sustainable and Ethical Engagement in Decent Sugarcane – SEEDS, is implemented with Solidaridad at all of the mills supplying cane sugar to the Coca‑Cola system. Across two harvest seasons (Dec 2024 to Apr 2026), SEEDS provided support to sugarcane farm workers with personal protective equipment, access to shade and rest and safe drinking water. The program has also introduced a worker-led training model on decent work and occupational health and safety for farm labor supervisors. In addition, it successfully advocated with the local government to support the workers and their children in accessing government welfare schemes. More information about SEEDS can be found here.
• Engaging key ecosystem stakeholders: Supported the establishment of the Coalition for Responsible Sugar in India (CRSI), a unique industry-wide collective that brings together Indian Sugar Mills Association (the apex sugar industry body with member mills producing 70% of India’s sugar), sugar buyers, producers, government officials, NGOs, certification bodies, and labor rights organizations to address endemic issues in the sector. Through joint stakeholder consultations, CRSI has mapped out best practices for contract transparency, minimum wage compliance, ethical recruitment, and support for women workers. The coalition’s on-the-ground pilots facilitate learning exchanges and set a model for replicable, worker-centered intervention and is developing a model code of conduct for the industry in collaboration with Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
  •  COSMOS program: Through CRSI, launched the “Creating Pathways for Safe, Orderly and Responsible Migration for Ensuring Social Sustainability in Sugar Supply Chain in Maharashtra, India (“COSMOS”) project with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This initiative supports migrant sugarcane workers, particularly women, with pre-departure education sessions on health and safety, and access to essential services via Migration Resource Centers. For more information on the project, please click here. 
• ILO Child Labour Prevention: Collaborating with the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s Child Labour Platform (CLP) in Karnataka to prevent risks of child labor in supply chains, focusing on increasing awareness of worker rights, improving migrant worker access to services, and supporting fair recruitment practices. CLP has secured formal partnerships with state governments, and begun strengthening coordination across government departments, while simultaneously building supplier and worker capacity through due diligence trainings and awareness efforts on fair recruitment, social protection, and labor standards. Early research and field consultations are informing targeted interventions, and the establishment of government‑led committees and district‑level engagement is creating the enabling environment for scale.  For more information, click here.
• Worker Voice and Remediation: Across the supply chain, we have implemented in-field reporting platforms, which help to mitigate issues on wage discrepancies, women’s safety, and forced overtime. 

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.