Trump’s Sweet Bet: How Coca-Cola’s Sugar Shift is Stirring Up the Beverage and Farming World

When Coca-Cola revealed plans to roll out a cane sugar version of its classic cola in the US this autumn, Jordan Hayes didn’t expect to find himself aligned with Donald Trump. The 37-year-old Californian, who didn’t vote in the last presidential election and has lukewarm views on Trump, admits: “Cane sugar just tastes better.”

He’s not alone. While Americans have long had access to “Mexican Coke” – a nostalgic, glass-bottled alternative made with cane sugar – the version typically sold in the US relies on high fructose corn syrup, a cheaper sweetener that has stirred debate for decades.

Now, Coca-Cola is betting there’s a bigger market for the cane sugar version – and Trump, surprisingly, is backing it. Despite his well-documented obsession with Diet Coke, Trump took credit for nudging Coca-Cola toward the sugar switch, calling it “a sweet win for American farmers.”

But not all farmers are smiling.

Sweet Deal, Bitter Fallout

Sugar producers are, predictably, thrilled. For decades, the US sugar industry has enjoyed extensive protection from foreign competition through government-imposed tariffs and price controls that keep domestic sugar prices nearly double global rates. Under Trump, those protections deepened with his administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which tightened sugar import restrictions and further bolstered support for domestic producers.

Trade analysts say Coca-Cola’s shift is a cherry on top.

“They already had the government limiting competition – now they have the president pushing demand,” said Colin Grabow of the libertarian Cato Institute. “It’s fantastic for sugar growers.”

Coca-Cola has stressed that this is not a complete overhaul, just a new product addition. But even the potential to scale up cane sugar use was enough to rattle markets. Corn syrup giant Archer Daniels Midland saw a brief 6% stock dip. Meanwhile, the Corn Refiners Association sounded alarms about possible job losses in rural America.

And in Iowa – where corn is king – farmers aren’t hiding their confusion.

“I thought this president was for American jobs,” said John Maxwell, whose family has farmed corn since the 1850s. “This feels like a curveball.”

Bob Hemesath, a corn and hog farmer, echoed that sentiment. “Moving away from corn syrup hurts jobs and farmers here. It doesn’t add up.”

The Politics of Sweeteners

To critics, Trump’s sugar push is less about taste and more about power. There are roughly 4,000 sugar-producing families in the US – a fraction of the corn-growing population – but they wield outsized influence in Washington. According to a review by the American Enterprise Institute, sugar industry donors, particularly members of the influential Sugar Alliance, outspent every other agricultural group on political contributions between 2018 and 2022.

Among those donors: the Fanjul family, Florida-based sugar magnates with a history of supporting Trump-aligned causes. In fact, when Trump raised the sugar issue during a January meeting with Coca-Cola, he reportedly got Jose Fanjul on the phone to discuss it directly.

“It’s not about who grows more. It’s about who writes bigger cheques,” said Vincent Smith, director of agricultural policy at AEI.

Does It Even Taste Better?

Amid the politics and farm fallout, one question lingers: is cane sugar Coke actually better?

For diehards like Hayes, the answer is yes. But science says the jury’s still out.

Kimber Stanhope, a nutritional biologist at UC Davis, has spent years studying sweeteners. Her verdict: both cane sugar and corn syrup raise the same health risks, and the difference in processing is marginal.

“People like to believe one is more natural,” she said. “But it’s mostly marketing. They’re both stripped of fibre, both raise blood sugar, and neither is good in large amounts.”

Even fans of Coca-Cola memorabilia, like Tennessee’s Richard Trappasse, admit the difference isn’t always noticeable. After conducting a blind taste test with his wife, he was shocked. “They tasted exactly the same,” he laughed.

Still, he believes Trump’s move will resonate with a certain crowd.

“People love nostalgia,” he said. “Saying ‘we’re bringing back the real thing’ – that speaks to his base.”

A New Taste, Same Old Debate

For now, Coca-Cola’s cane sugar cola is simply a product expansion – not a replacement. But the decision has reopened long-standing debates around food politics, health, and influence.

And whether or not it actually tastes better, one thing is clear: in America’s ever-simmering sugar wars, this latest twist is anything but bland.