The controversial Atarot settlement in Occupied Palestine, where it runs one of its factories, has put the soft drink brand Dr Pepper in the spotlight. The association has kick started a movement, calling for a boycott of these products, with questions being asked about the ethics of corporate operations in areas of conflict.
Coca-Cola’s Role in an Unsettled Territory
Ownership of Dr Pepper in the Coca-Cola conglomerate is complicated by the fact that a factory in Atarot, an Israeli settlement widely considered illegal under international law, operates there. Land utilization within Palestinian territories has given rise to ethical issues leading consumer action against supporting products associated with CocaCola, including Dr Pepper.
The alignment of this area with a disputed one has encouraged a movement calling for people to boycott Coca-Cola products, as a way to take a stand together against making a profit off of an illegal occupation.
Consumer Choices and Ethical Alternatives
However, in answer to the ethical quandary, consumers are also encouraged beyond not buying Dr Pepper to also not sell or promote of these products or even seek alternatives to Dr Pepper. Substitutes that are ethical brands offered by supermarket chains such as Aldi, Asda, Lidl or Barr Drinks are spotlighted.
The focus is on shifting consumer support from companies that participate in actions supporting contentious occupations, promoting ethical consumerism in support of the affected Palestinian communities.
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The fact that companies like Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola are feeling the effects of a movement to boycott them over conflict in the Middle East is another manifestation of the power of corporate responsibility within a global conflict.
The consumers try to affect companies like Coca-Cola by targeting products linked to contentious operations in order to make the companies comply with international laws and human rights. Here’s how this collective action proves the importance of consumer choice in fighting social and ethical changes of a sensitive geopolitical nature like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.