University Of Michigan Resumes Purchasing Of Coca-Cola Products

April 14, 2006 edition

The University of Michigan announced on April 11 that it will resume the purchase of Coca-Cola products for its campus. The University‘s decision comes after a year of constructive engagement between The Coca-Cola Company and the University of Michigan to address concerns raised about our operations in Colombia and India.

The University‘s decision reflects satisfaction with our Company‘s plans for proceeding with third-party reviews of key activities in Colombia and India. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has agreed to investigate and evaluate the labor relations practices of the Coca-Cola bottlers in Colombia. Additionally, the Company is in active dialogue with The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), a highly respected Delhi-based nongovernment organization with deep experience on sustainability issues, to develop an impartial, independent, third-party assessment of water resource management practices at Company facilities in India, including potential contamination due to agricultural practices. Specific details about project protocols and timelines are being finalized.

We will continue to work with the University of Michigan to address issues of concern regarding operations in Colombia and India.

Learn more about our Company‘s labor relations in Colombia, go there »