* Coca cola needs to handle CSR issues globally not just domestically. * Promoting CSR overseas * Empowering Girls and Women Globally through Education * Collaboration between Coca-Cola and the US Government to support a set of school lunch programs
Coca Cola is the leading international seller of fruit juice. As the world becomes more health conscious sales of soft drinks have declined (by1 to 2% annually since 2013). Also, the two largest bottled beverage companies of the world, Coca Cola and Pepsi Co are experiencing growth in consumption outside of the United States, where as sales in the USA are falling (this is true for many industries as emerging markets globally in Africa South And Southeast Asia, and South America are now demanding more and more “value added” shelf products, such as bottled or ready juices. Cocoa-cola’s sales overseas are growing at an average of 1% while falling at an average of 2% domestically (Ted Cooper, NYT, 2011.)
So why should coca cola just work on CSR issues domestically and not put a big emphasis on emerging markets for their philanthropic work? And as the largest juice producer/bottler in the world, why should Coca-Cola not take steps toward promoting CSR overseas using this particular leadership in the market?
We suggest a CSR plan that focuses on one of our own Department of State’s and our President’s primary international initiatives – Empowering Girls and Women Globally through Education – a Program through the Department of State’s Office of Women’s Issues.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told an international conference that educating women and girls helps them substantially contribute to their communities. A special position of “Undersecretary for Education of Women and Girls” has been created to report directly to the secretary.
“The evidence shows conclusively that even one extra year of schooling leads to significantly higher wages for women and girls, which allows them to lift up themselves, their families, and contribute to their communities and countries,” Clinton said May 26 at the Paris launch of the UNESCO Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education. “We have seen that when women and girls have the opportunity to pursue education, GDP (gross domestic product) grows for entire societies,” she said.
However, getting girls to attend schools in many emerging markets is complicated by the need for those same girls to be working at home and helping to produce food for their families. One program that has been shown to increase the attendance of girls (and boys) in school, are school lunch programs. The United States has a long history of providing public school lunches as part of education to increase attendance, and the Department of State and the Department of Agriculture have extended these programs to developing and emerging countries where girls do not have easy access to education. Provision of a meal at school is known to increase attendance by girls of families in let’s say Pakistan, by 30%.
As the major producer of juices and vitamin fortified water and other bottled drinks, we suggest that collaboration between Coca-Cola and the US Government in supporting a set of school lunch programs in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and that region would make a good CSR program. The food portion of these programs is provided in the form of a complete daily nutrition cereal bar that is already produced in vast quantities by the World Food Program. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) provides school meals to more than 24 million children each year, and is trying to expand that by 100s of millions. The problem is finding donors to purchase the bars and then in this case combine the cereal bar with a juice or vitamin fortified drink. Coca Cola could play this role. These programs are already established in some parts of the world (like Pakistan) and are just looking for donors.
According to Secretary Clinton, “Education sends a message — a message of confidence and hope,” Ban said. “It tells that child, ‘You have a future, what you think matters.’”