US corn growers warn Trump's push for cane sugar in Coke will cost thousands of American jobs

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Thursday 17 July 2025 11:19 EDT


U.S. corn growers have said that Donald Trump’s push to use real sugar cane in Coca-Cola “doesn’t make sense” and will cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs.

In a statement, the Corn Refiners Association added that the move would also lower farm income and boost imports of foreign sugar “all with no nutritional benefit.”

It comes after Trump announced Wednesday that he had spoken to executives at Coca-Cola about changing the recipe – replacing high fructose corn syrup with sugar cane. “This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!” the president wrote. While Coca-Cola in the U.S. is typically made with high-fructose corn syrup, the soda company uses cane sugar in other countries, such as Mexico.

“Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense,” the CRA wrote in their statement. “President Trump stands for American manufacturing jobs, American farmers and reducing the trade deficit.” “Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit.”

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-corn-growers-sugar-cane-coca-cola-trump-b2790964.html

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[Ocelot II]

1. Sugar cane is grown in Louisiana, Florida and Texas, although the US also imports a lot of it

from Brazil, and it's tariffed. Sugar beets are also grown a number of northern states. So I'm wondering what the point is of benefiting cane and beet farmers over corn farmers? High fructose corn syrup is in everything and it's not very good for you, but I don't think that's what's going on here. What's Trump's real reason for telling Coke to change its recipe?

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Our cane growing areas in no way match the almost infinite acres of corn

just due to the subtropical nature of sugar cane (they grow it in Hawai'i too). And a lot of that corn is also used for both feed and biofuel (for ethanol to use to mix into gasolne).

There has been a push - even before brainworm host - to remove HFCS from products. And from what I saw from some articles, Coca Cola was apparently blindsided by the declaration and basically dodged any confirmation.

As it is, he drinks "Diet Coke" which has neither HFCS nor cane sugar but uses aspartame as the sweetener.

(ETA - the "sugar" thing might be coming from brainworm host and the "MAHA" thing)

[ret5hd]

2. awww...so sad. BTW, who did you vote for?

[murielm99]

10. My husband and I are corn growers.

Did you ask me that question? Cut it out with the broad brush condemnations.

[NCDem47]

3. TACO never thinks things through.

[we can do it]

4. Oh well

[Autumn]

5. That's their plan.

[ToxMarz]

7. Can't wait until he puts the Cocaine back in Coke!

WooHoo!!

[Javaman]

8. in a follow up article titled: trump doesn't give a rats ass about anyone else but himself. nt

[hadEnuf]

9. Trump just doesn't want to get caught drinking MexiCoke, seeing he's trying to exterminate Mexicans.

The Mexican coke with cane sugar is also available in almost every supermarket in the US.

[generalbetrayus]

11. The down side, at least here in Colorado, is the Mexican Coke is generally $2 a bottle, occasionally less.

It is so much better than American Coke that I treat myself to it occasionally, and I don't drink American Coke at all.

[hadEnuf]

18. Yes, you can taste the difference.

A while back they had Pepsi Throwback that had cane sugar. Haven't seen it around for a while though. Coke seems to do well with the Mexican version.

[womanofthehills]

19. I just bought a bottle of Mex coke in NM for $3 today

It’s my fave. Definitely prefer sugar to corn syrup.

However, both our corn & sugar crops are disgusting - lots of glyphosate. Our sugar crop in the southern states is also sprayed with glyphosate right before harvest for uniform drying - it’s affecting the waterways. And GMO Roundup Ready corn sounds gross too.

[tanyev]

12. Has Coca-Cola confirmed they plan to do this?

It’s just more Trump BS until they do.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Apparently it seemed to have blindsided them

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143497437

So they gave a non-answer answer.

[tanyev]

14. Figures.

Trump probably called the CEO who presented him with the commemorative inauguration bottle of Diet Coke and told him “You should switch back to cane sugar!” Whereupon the CEO said, “Well, we do some product with cane sugar every year. I’ll be sure and pass the idea along,” hoping that would end the phone call sooner.

And it did! Before the line was even disconnected, Donny was tip tapping his message out on Truth Social with his tiny little fingers.

Congratulations, James Coca-Cola! You just got Trumped.

[Bengus81]

15. Pffffttt...another Trump diversion. Give it five more minutes and never mentioned again.

[cabotnn22]

16. Honestly, I support getting rid of High Fructose Corn Syrup

It is so unhealthy. This is why Mexican Coca-Cola is so popular. And the US does grow sugar cane.

[mdbl]

17. Everything Dump does and signs interrupts many livelihoods

Yet the magats keep buying his cheap shit.