Update on Collective Actions to Advance Working Conditions for Sugarcane Workers in India

(Updated on 12-05-2025)

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 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. In Maharashtra state, this program is being implemented at all of the mills supplying cane sugar to the Coca‑Cola system. More information on the program can be found here.
• Engaging key ecosystem stakeholders: Supported the establishment of the Coalition for Responsible Sugar in India (CRSI) and, 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 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. For more information, click here.

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.