Coca-Cola Announces Will Return to Myanmar After 60 Years
By Tony Jordan
| Bloomberg – Fri, Jun 15, 2012 3:02 AM EDT
Coca-Cola
Co. (KO) plans to return to Myanmar for the first time in more than 60
years, leaving Cuba and North Korea as the only nations where the maker of the
world's most popular soft drink doesn't do business. The company will start operating in Myanmar as soon as the U.S. government issues a license allowing investments in the Southeast Asian country, a move that may be "imminent," the Atlanta-based company said in a statement distributed by Business wire yesterday.
Myanmar is enhancing economic, military and political ties with Western nations after years of isolation that left its 64 million people among Asia's poorest. The country's transition to democracy in recent months after about five decades of military rule prompted the U.S. to ease sanctions in May.
"Coca-Cola's planned entry into Myanmar, following the suspension of sanctions, will be governed by its well- established global standards for corporate ethics including strict adherence to its global human and workplace rights policy, supplier guiding principles, code of business conduct, and anti-bribery policies," the company said in the statement.
Coca-Cola will initially import some products from neighboring countries before "making significant investments in Myanmar over the next three-five years," the company said, adding it will work with local partners to support the country's long-term economic development.
Coca-Cola has grown from selling nine drinks a day in a single country in 1886 to distributing 1.8 billion beverages in more than 200 nations, according to data posted on its website. Myanmar, Cuba and North Korea are the only countries where Coca- Cola doesn't operate, the company said yesterday. Coca-Cola says the 1971-vintage advertisement entitled "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" remains one of its most popular.
PepsiCo Inc. (PEP), the world's second-largest soft-drink maker, pulled out of Myanmar in 1997 after shareholder groups and activists urged the company to sever ties with the military dictatorship because of human-rights violations. Heineken NV, the world's third-biggest brewer, withdrew in 1996.
Here is a list of seafood to avoid this year
The Dirty Dozen
Yes
fish, no fish, red fish…OK fish? Our oceans have become so depleted of wild
fish stocks, and so polluted with industrial contaminants, that trying to
figure out the fish that are both safe and sustainable can make your
head spin. "Good fish" lists can change year after year,
because stocks rebound or get depleted every few years, but there are some fish
that, no matter what, you can always decline. The nonprofit Food and Water
Watch looked at all the varieties of fish out there, how they were harvested,
how certain species are farmed, and levels of toxic contaminants like mercury
or PCBs in the fish, as well as how heavily local fishermen relied upon
fisheries for their economic survival. These are the 12 fish, they determined,
that all of us should avoid, no matter what.
Imported Catfish
Why It's Bad: Nearly 90 percent of the
catfish imported to the U.S. comes from Vietnam, where use of antibiotics that
are banned in the U.S. is widespread. Furthermore, the two varieties of
Vietnamese catfish sold in the U.S., Swai and Basa, aren't technically
considered catfish by the federal government and therefore aren't held to the
same inspection rules that other imported catfish are.
Eat This Instead: Stick with domestic, farm-raised catfish, advises Marianne Cufone, director of the Fish Program at Food & Water Watch. It's responsibly farmed and plentiful, making it one of the best fish you can eat. Or, try Asian carp, an invasive species with a similar taste to catfish that's out-competing wild catfish and endangering the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Eat This Instead: Stick with domestic, farm-raised catfish, advises Marianne Cufone, director of the Fish Program at Food & Water Watch. It's responsibly farmed and plentiful, making it one of the best fish you can eat. Or, try Asian carp, an invasive species with a similar taste to catfish that's out-competing wild catfish and endangering the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Caviar
Why It's Bad: Caviar from beluga and
wild-caught sturgeon are susceptible to overfishing, according to the Food and
Water Watch report, but the species are also being threatened by an increase in
dam building that pollutes the water in which they live. All forms of caviar
come from fish that take a long time to mature, which means that it takes a
while for populations to rebound.
Eat This Instead: If you really love caviar, opt for fish eggs from American Lake Sturgeon or American Hackleback/Shovelnose Sturgeon caviar from the Mississippi River system.
Eat This Instead: If you really love caviar, opt for fish eggs from American Lake Sturgeon or American Hackleback/Shovelnose Sturgeon caviar from the Mississippi River system.
Atlantic Cod
Why It's Bad: This one was difficult to
add to the "dirty dozen list," says Cufone, because it is so vital to
the economic health of New England fishermen. "However, chronic
mismanagement by the National Marine Fisheries Service and low stock status
made it very difficult to recommend," she says. Atlantic cod stocks
collapsed in the mid-1990s and are in such disarray that the species is now
listed as one step above endangered on the International Union for Conservation
of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
Eat This Instead: The good news, if you love fish 'n' chips (which is nearly always made with cod), is that Pacific cod stocks are still strong and are one of Food and Water Watch's best fish picks.
Eat This Instead: The good news, if you love fish 'n' chips (which is nearly always made with cod), is that Pacific cod stocks are still strong and are one of Food and Water Watch's best fish picks.
American Eel
Why It's Bad: Also called yellow or
silver eel, this fish, which frequently winds up in sushi dishes, made its way
onto the list because it's highly contaminated with PCBs and mercury. The
fisheries are also suffering from some pollution and overharvesting.
Eat This Instead: If you like the taste of eel, opt for Atlantic- or Pacific-caught squid instead.
Eat This Instead: If you like the taste of eel, opt for Atlantic- or Pacific-caught squid instead.
Imported Shrimp
Why It's Bad: Imported shrimp actually
holds the designation of being the dirtiest of the Dirty Dozen, says Cufone,
and it's hard to avoid, as 90 percent of shrimp sold in the U.S. is imported.
"Imported farmed shrimp comes with a whole bevy of contaminants:
antibiotics, residues from chemicals used to clean pens, filth like mouse hair,
rat hair, and pieces of insects," Cufone says. "And I didn't even
mention things like E. coli that have been detected in imported shrimp."
Part of this has to do with the fact that less than 2 percent of ALL imported
seafood (shrimp, crab, catfish, or others) gets inspected before its sold,
which is why it's that much more important to buy domestic seafood.
Eat This Instead: Look for domestic shrimp. Seventy percent of domestic shrimp comes from the Gulf of Mexico, which relies heavily on shrimp for economic reasons. Pink shrimp from Oregon are another good choice; the fisheries there are certified under the stringent Marine Stewardship Council guidelines.
Eat This Instead: Look for domestic shrimp. Seventy percent of domestic shrimp comes from the Gulf of Mexico, which relies heavily on shrimp for economic reasons. Pink shrimp from Oregon are another good choice; the fisheries there are certified under the stringent Marine Stewardship Council guidelines.
Atlantic Flatfish
Why It's Bad: This group of fish
includes flounder, sole, and halibut that are caught off the Atlantic coast.
They found their way onto the list because of heavy contamination and
overfishing that dates back to the 1800s. According to Food and Water Watch,
populations of these fish are as low as 1 percent of what's necessary to be
considered sustainable for long-term fishing.
Eat This Instead: Pacific halibut seems to be doing well, but the group also recommends replacing these fish with other mild-flavored white-fleshed fish, such as domestically farmed catfish or tilapia.
Eat This Instead: Pacific halibut seems to be doing well, but the group also recommends replacing these fish with other mild-flavored white-fleshed fish, such as domestically farmed catfish or tilapia.
Atlantic Salmon (both wild-caught and farmed)
Why It's Bad: It's actually illegal to
capture wild Atlantic salmon because the fish stocks are so low, and they're
low, in part, because of farmed salmon. Salmon farming
is very polluting: Thousands of fish are crammed into pens, which leads to the
growth of diseases and parasites that require antibiotics and pesticides.
Often, the fish escape and compete with native fish for food, leading to declines
in native populations. Adding to our salmon woes, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration is moving forward with approving genetically engineered salmon to be sold, unlabeled, to
unsuspecting seafood lovers. That salmon would be farmed off the coast of
Panama, and it's unclear how it would be labeled. Currently, all fish labeled
"Atlantic salmon" come from fish farms.
Eat This Instead: Opt for wild Alaskan salmon now, and in the event that GE salmon is officially approved.
Eat This Instead: Opt for wild Alaskan salmon now, and in the event that GE salmon is officially approved.
Imported King Crab
Why It's Bad: The biggest problem with
imported crab is that most of it comes from Russia, where limits on fish
harvests aren't strongly enforced. But this crab also suffers from something of
an identity crisis, says Cufone: "Imported king crab is often misnamed
Alaskan king crab, because most people think that's name of the crab," she
says, adding that she's often seen labels at supermarkets that say
"Alaskan King Crab, Imported." Alaskan king crab is a completely
separate animal, she says, and it's much more responsibly harvested than the
imported stuff.
Eat This Instead: When you shop for king crab, whatever the label says, ask whether it comes from Alaska or if it's imported. Approximately 70 percent of the king crab sold in the U.S. is imported, so it's important to make that distinction and go domestic.
Eat This Instead: When you shop for king crab, whatever the label says, ask whether it comes from Alaska or if it's imported. Approximately 70 percent of the king crab sold in the U.S. is imported, so it's important to make that distinction and go domestic.
Shark
Why It's Bad: Problems associated with
our eating too many sharks happen at all stages of the food chain, says Cufone.
For one, these predatory fish are extremely high in mercury, which poses
threats to humans. But ocean ecosystems suffer, too. "With fewer sharks
around, the species they eat, like cownose rays and jellyfish, have increased
in numbers," Cufone says. "And the rays are eating—and
depleting—scallops and other fish." There are fewer of those fish in the
oceans for us to eat, placing an economic strain on coastal communities that
depend on those fisheries.
Eat this instead: Among the recommendations for shark alternatives are Pacific halibut and Atlantic mackerel.
Eat this instead: Among the recommendations for shark alternatives are Pacific halibut and Atlantic mackerel.
Orange Roughy
Why It's Bad: In addition to having high
levels of mercury, orange roughy can take between 20 and 40 years to reach full
maturity and reproduces late in life, which makes it difficult for populations
to recover from overfishing. Orange roughy has such a reputation for being
overharvested that some large restaurant chains, including Red Lobster, refuse
to serve it. However, it still pops up in grocer freezers, sometimes mislabeled
as "sustainably harvested." There are no fisheries of orange roughy
that are considered well-managed or are certified by the Marine Stewardship
Council, so avoid any that you see.
Eat This Instead: Opt for yellow snapper or domestic catfish to get the same texture as orange roughy in your recipes.
Eat This Instead: Opt for yellow snapper or domestic catfish to get the same texture as orange roughy in your recipes.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Why It's Bad: A recent analysis by The
New York Times
found that Atlantic bluefin tuna has the highest levels of
mercury of any type of tuna. To top it off, bluefin tuna are
severely overharvested, to the point of reaching near-extinction levels, and
are considered "critically endangered" by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature. Rather than trying to navigate the ever-changing recommendations
for which tuna is best, consider giving it up altogether and switching to a
healthy, flavorful alternative, such as Alaska wild-caught salmon.
Eat This Instead: If you really can't give up tuna, opt for American or Canadian (but not imported!) albacore tuna, which is caught while it's young and doesn't contain as high levels of mercury.
Eat This Instead: If you really can't give up tuna, opt for American or Canadian (but not imported!) albacore tuna, which is caught while it's young and doesn't contain as high levels of mercury.
Chilean Sea Bass
Why It's Bad: Most Chilean sea bass sold
in the U.S. comes from fishermen who have captured them illegally, although the
U.S. Department of State says that illegal harvesting of the fish has declined
in recent years. Nevertheless, fish stocks are in such bad shape that the
nonprofit Greenpeace estimates that, unless people stop eating this fish, the
entire species could be commercially extinct within five years. Food and Water
Watch's guide notes that these fish are high in mercury, as well.
Eat This Instead: These fish are very popular and considered a delicacy, but you can get the same texture and feel with U.S. hook-and-line–caught haddock.
Eat This Instead: These fish are very popular and considered a delicacy, but you can get the same texture and feel with U.S. hook-and-line–caught haddock.
