Coke & the UI | Ethical Purchasing Code | What You Can Do

Coca-Cola & the UI

Coke became the “Official Soft Drink of the Iowa Hawkeyes” in 1998 when the UI signed an exclusive beverage contract with Coca-Cola. 

The contract allows Coca-Cola to be the exclusive beverage provider on campus, and pairs Coke products with the Hawkeye logo on vending machines, cups, bottles, banners, and athletic fields.

Unfortunately, Coca-Cola’s reputation as one of the world’s most notorious human rights abusers only continues to grow.

SAS has been campaigning since 2002 for the UI to hold Coca-Cola accountable for human rights abuses.  In the past year alone, charges against Coke include:

·     Complicity in anti-worker violence and murder of union leaders in Colombian bottling plants.

·     Profiting from using child-labor produced sugar from Ecuador in Coke products.

·     Sale of pesticide-laced bottled water in India.

·     Illegal depletion of groundwater sources in rural Indian communities.

·     Failure to provide health care for workers affected by the AIDS pandemic in Africa.

The UI must use its leverage to hold Coke accountable for abusive practices -- or the University policy on human rights loses its integrity.

UI Needs an Ethical Purchasing Code

UI President David Skorton and the UI Human Rights Committee have all expressed concern with Coke’s record.

But the UI’s existing Code of Conduct so far covers ONLY companies licensed to make licensed merchandise bearing the Hawkeye logo.  This means the UI has not yet committed to holding the majority of its business partners -- including major contractors like Coca-Cola -- to the basic standards outlined in the Code. 

In response to student concerns, the UI Charter Committee on Human Rights has issued recommendations on this issue, including establishing a task force to explore creating a purchasing code.

The time has come to begin this process!

SAS calls on UI administrators to immediately draft and implement and Ethical Purchasing Code of Conduct.

What You Can Do

Sign the online petition calling for an Ethical Purchasing Code of Conduct and pledging to boycott Coca-Cola products.

Come to a SAS meeting and join in on current campaigns.  SAS meets Thursdays @ 7:00 in the IMU.

Sign up for the SAS listserv to stay informed. 

Invite an SAS member to speak to your class, church, union, or other organization.  E-mail iowasas@yahoo.com to request a speaker.

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