International   

Take the Coca out

It may be called Coca-Cola, but though the drink uses the name of the coca leaf, its maker shies away from confirming whether the leaf is one of its ingredients. Now Bolivian coca farmers want to reclaim the leaf as part of their country's cultural heritage by forcing the U.S. drinks giant to change its brand name. A resolution by a farmers' lobby group has been adopted by an assembly that is rewriting Bolivia's constitution, tipping the Government into a legal battle against Coca-Cola and other companies that use the name of the leaf. The Andean nation has used the plant in religious ceremonies and as a stimulant since before Columbus.

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Hamas-Fatah Government installed
Two arms smuggling vessels sunk: Colombo
Zimbabwe at "tipping point"
Fast lane for Putin
Seven U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq
70 injured in Nepal clashes
Pakistan clarifies on CJ's `status'
Take the Coca out
No to missile shield
Hannover IT expo has few Indian firms

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu