Coca-Cola Switching to Cane Sugar, Could Be Huge for Louisiana

Lafayette, Louisiana (KPEL-FM) - Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced that Coca-Cola has agreed to stop using high fructose corn syrup and start using real cane sugar in their beverages.

According to the American Sugar Cane League, Louisiana is one of America's largest cane sugar producers, 2nd only to Florida.

So, could Coca-Cola switching to real cane sugar be a big boost to Louisiana's economy?

Let's take a look...

Scott Olson, Getty Images

Real Cane Sugar Vs High Fructose Corn Syrup

Coca-Cola switching from high-fructose corn syrup to real cane sugar in the soft drinks it produces has several possible benefits.

The first and most obvious one is taste.

For years customers have claimed that Mexican Coke tastes better than Coca-Cola made with high fructose corn syrup.

Mexican Coca-Cola is produced using real cane sugar.

From nytimes.com -

This difference in sweetener is a key reason why it has gained popularity among consumers who prefer the taste of cane sugar.

While Coca-Cola in the United States is primarily sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, Mexican Coke, imported from Mexico, is known for using cane sugar

(Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Coca-Cola using real cane sugar also has perceived health benefits.

High fructose corn syrup has a worse reputation due to its association with obesity, diabetes, and processed food.

Products made with real cane sugar are often seen as more "natural" or less artificial, even though both cane sugar and HFCS are equally unhealthy in excess.

Some people say that real cane sugar tastes cleaner and crisper versus HFCS, with others saying high fructose corn syrup tastes more syrupy with a much more artificial aftertaste.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Marketing Advantages Of Real Cane Sugar

The old saying of "Image perceived is image achieved" certainly could come into play with Coca-Cola switching to real cane sugar.

Currently “Made with real sugar” is often used to signal quality and nostalgia, and also plays into recent consumer trends of cleaner eating and natural ingredients.

How Will This Affect Louisiana's Economy?

Louisiana is the second-largest producer of sugarcane in the U.S., after Florida.

According to lsuagcenter.com, Louisiana has approximately 450 sugar cane farms across 460,000 acres across 24 parishes, all processed by 11 raw sugar factories.

Increased demand from a major buyer like Coca-Cola could mean bigger contracts and higher prices for Louisiana sugarcane farmers.

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(Photo illustration by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

A surge in sugar cane demand by Coca-Cola switching to real cane sugar would possibly mean more jobs being created as well as an increase in trucking, equipment sales, and agricultural services.

Higher sugar cane sales could also result in more local and state tax dollars.

As of now, Coca-Cola has yet to confirm President Trumps claim of the company switching to real sugar cane sugar.

While there are still a lot what ifs and a timeline is unclear as to Coca-Cola's switch to real cane sugar for their products, the big picture is a net positive for the Louisiana sugar cane industry.