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 United States 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, potentially 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 mild stimulant since before Christopher Columbus. As the raw ingredient of cocaine, however, it has been stigmatised by the US and the United Nations, which want to reduce its cultivation drastically.
Under President Evo Morales, a former coca grower, Bolivia has campaigned for recognition of the plant’s cultural importance as well as its legitimate uses.
Coca-Cola denies ever having used cocaine in earlier versions of its drink, but will not say whether the natural leaf forms part of its secret recipe. Until a few years ago the Atlanta-based company bought tonnes of leaves annually.
Growers resent that the multinational uses the plant’s name but does not defend it against US-backed restrictions, which prevent Bolivia exporting products made with coca. “Instead of satanising the leaf, they need to understand our situation,” David Herrera, a state government supervisor for the coca-growing Chapare region, told Reuters.
Coca-Cola released a statement saying its trademark was “the most valuable and recognised brand in the world” and was protected under Bolivian law. — Guardian Unlimited Â