The change is significant—since the mid-1980s, virtually all Coca-Cola sold in the U.S. has been sweetened not with sugar, but with high fructose corn syrup, a less expensive alternative, but a very politically potent one.
It remains unclear how quickly Coca-Cola will phase in cane sugar nationwide, and it likewise remains unclear how this move fits within Trump’s broader use of tariffs, including the tariffs predating his tenure that make sugar imports more expensive than subsidized corn. But it’s a major change beyond just a beverage giant’s soda recipe.
Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fortune has also sent requests for comment to the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
