Author: Unknown
Published on: 08/01/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico, is home to a bottling plant run by Femsa. It has permits to extract more than 300,000 gallons of water every day from the nearby Huitepec volcano basin. But that demand has led to severe water stress. Indigenous activists have occupied a Danone-owned bottling plant in Puebla. Critics blame the industrial extraction for the growth of a sinkhole nearly 400 feet wide. Impoverished communities are often hit hardest by the water shortages. Just 7 percent of households in Chiapas believe their water is safe to drink. The situation forces many to buy bottled water instead — or drink soda. Every half-litre bottle of Coke requires 35 litres (9.2 gallons) of water to produce, according to an official 2010 report by Coca-Cola and The Nature Conservancy. The report relied on data from the Netherlands and acknowledged that water use can vary from place to place, particularly when different ingredients are used. Critics say the terms of its permits are biased towards Coca-Cola. Femsa pays 2,600 pesos or $155 for each water permit in Mexico. The report’s authors call that amount “absolutely ridiculous” compared with the profits the companies make off the water. Femsa did not respond to requests for comment about its business practices in Mexico and in San Cristóbal in particular. Coca-Cola Mexico spokesperson Daniela Puerta declined a request for an interview but said in an email, “We always abide by local laws and regulations” Other factors such as poor infrastructure and rapid urbanisation have also played a role in the water shortages.
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