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Pepsi’s Ties to Human Rights Abuses: A Call to Action

Summary

PepsiCo, the American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation, owns SodaStream and 50% of Sabra. SodaStream is an Israeli-owned sparkling water firm that was the target of an international boycott campaign and a symbol of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Sabra is a hummus and dip manufacturer that has been accused of exploiting Palestinian resources. Sabra is complicit in Israel’s illegal occupation and is a proudly Zionist company. Co-owners of Sabra, the Strauss Group, support the Golani Brigade of the Israel Defence Forces, even making a financial donation which was publicly stated on their website. PepsiCo owns many brands. Read the whole article or click here to see the full list.

SodaStream

SodaStream was operating its main factory in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which led to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) calling for a boycott against SodaStream since at least 2011. The BDS protests escalated in 2014 and caught SodaStream at a vulnerable time, when the company had just made a major marketing push into the United States, including buying Super Bowl ads and hiring Scarlett Johansson to represent the company. The boycott campaign brought international pressure that forced some major European retailers to stop carrying the brand, one of its affiliate stores in the U.K. to close, and Johansson to step down from her role as ambassador for the charity Oxfam. SodaStream ultimately closed its West Bank factory in 2015 and moved to a larger plant in the Negev Desert, although it denied BDS played a role and said the new facility had been in the works for years. Meanwhile, BDS activists celebrated the factory’s closure as a milestone victory for the movement.

Click here to read more about SodaStream here.

Sabra

Sabra, on the other hand, has been accused of exploiting Palestinian resources. Sabra’s parent company, Strauss Group, has been accused of supporting the Israeli military and exploiting Palestinian resources, including water. The company has also been accused of using the names of Palestinian villages for its products without permission. Sabra’s CEO, Tomer Harpaz, has stated that the company is “proud of our Israeli heritage” and that “our roots are in the land of Israel”. Sabra has also been criticized for its ties to the Israeli government and its support of the Israeli military.

Click here to read more about The Strauss Group here.

Conclusion

In conclusion, PepsiCo owns SodaStream and 50% of Sabra, both of which have been accused of taking advantage of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. SodaStream was the target of an international boycott campaign and a symbol of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, while Sabra has been accused of exploiting Palestinian resources.

All PepsiCo’s brands

  1. Alvalle (Gazpacho and cold soup products)
  2. Aquafina (Bottled water)
  3. Baken-Ets (Pork rinds)
  4. Bare (Fruit and vegetable snacks)
  5. Brisk (Iced tea and juice drinks)
  6. Bubly (Sparkling water)
  7. Cap’N Crunch (Breakfast cereals)
  8. Cheetos (Corn puff snacks)
  9. Chester’s (Flavoured snacks)
  10. Cracker Jack (Caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts)
  11. Doritos (Flavoured tortilla crisps)
  12. Fritos (Corn chips)
  13. Funyuns (Onion-flavoured rings)
  14. Gamesa (Cookies and baked goods)
  15. Gatorade (Sports drinks)
  16. Grandma’s (Cookies)
  17. Health Warrior (Chia bars and snacks)
  18. Hilo Life (Keto-friendly snacks)
  19. Jack Link’s (Jerky and meat snacks)
  20. Lay’s (Potato chips)
  21. LIFEWTR (Purified water with electrolytes)
  22. Lipton (Tea and iced tea)
  23. Looza (Fruit juices)
  24. Manzanita Sol (Apple-flavoured beverages)
  25. Maui Style (Potato chips)
  26. Miss Vickies (Kettle-cooked potato chips)
  27. Mountain Dew (Carbonated soft drink)
  28. Munchies (Snack mix)
  29. Munchos (Potato crisps)
  30. Muscle Milk (Protein shakes and bars)
  31. NatuChips (Natural vegetable chips)
  32. Near East (Rice, couscous, and grain products)
  33. Nut Harvest (Nuts and trail mix)
  34. Ocean Spray (Fruit juices and snacks)
  35. Off The Eaten Path (Vegetable snacks)
  36. Pasta Roni (Pasta side dishes)
  37. Pearl Milling (Pancake and waffle mixes)
  38. Pepsi (Carbonated soft drink)
  39. PopCorners (Popped corn snacks)
  40. Propel (Fitness water)
  41. Pure Leaf (Iced tea)
  42. Quaker (Oats, cereal, and snack products)
  43. Red Rock Deli (Potato chips and dips)
  44. Rockstar (Energy drinks)
  45. Rold Gold (Pretzels)
  46. Ruffles (Potato chips)
  47. Sabritas (Snack products)
  48. Sabritones (Wheat snacks)
  49. Santitas (Tortilla chips)
  50. Simply (Juices and drinks)
  51. Smartfood (Popcorn)
  52. Sobe (Flavoured beverages)
  53. SodaStream (Home carbonation systems)
  54. Soulboost (Sparkling water beverage)
  55. Spitz (Sunflower seeds)
  56. Stacy’s (Pita chips and crisps)
  57. Starbucks (Coffee and ready-to-drink beverages)
  58. Starry (Sparkling water)
  59. SunChips (Multigrain snacks)
  60. Tazo (Tea and herbal infusions)
  61. Tostitos (Tortilla chips and dips)
  62. Yachak (Herbal tea)

Sources

(1) Pepsi Just Bought SodaStream. So About That West Bank … – HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pepsico-sodastream-israel_n_5b7c00d7e4b018b93e97aba2.
(2) The case against SodaStream – Palestine Solidarity Campaign. https://www.palestinecampaign.org/case-sodastream/.
(3) PepsiCo buys Sodastream for $3.2bn – BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45244759.

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