The new funding from The Coca‑Cola Company will help Canadian farmers and ranchers in the ALUS network restore the land, air, and water around their farms

TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ALUS, a charitable organization supporting nature-based solutions in local communities, has announced a $162,500 grant from The Coca‑Cola Company in Canada to bolster community-based efforts around nature-based solutions for water in the regions in which the company operates. This funding is critical to helping farmers and ranchers carry out projects to improve watershed health, supporting Canadian water systems.

“ALUS is thrilled to receive this support from The Coca‑Cola Company,” says Jill Weaver, Director of Partnerships, ALUS. “Stakeholder engagement and shared governance are central to the ALUS program. The community-led activities and the network of farmers and ranchers that benefit from the ALUS program are an excellent fit with The Coca Cola Company’s approach to initiatives that help contribute to watershed health.”

The funding will support three ALUS communities where Coca‑Cola operates; ALUS Rocky View, Alberta, ALUS Peel, Ontario, ALUS Laurentides, Quebec. The funding will help these communities extend their reach and help continue to provide environmental benefits, such as clean water, to neighboring municipalities.

“Water is a priority for our company because it is essential to the communities we serve and helps create the iconic brands we know and love,” said Avi Yufest, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability, The Coca‑Cola Company in Canada. “Canada has one of the largest reserves of freshwater in the world and it’s important we are responsible stewards of this critical resource. We’re proud to support Canadian farmers that protect local watersheds through our investment in ALUS.”

Farmers and ranchers participating in ALUS manage nearly 42,000 acres of wetland ecosystems in Canada and the United States. Local partnership advisory committees (PACs) ensure that local ecological and economic priorities are of foremost concern during project implementation. Communities and corporations alike depend on the health and availability of water resources.

Since 2020, as a non-profit member of the CEO Water Mandate and the Alliance for Water Stewardship, ALUS has focused on demonstrating how valuable farmers, ranchers and ALUS Partnership Advisory Committees are in achieving water replenishment, restoration and community engagement on water issues.

ALUS is a leader in activating rural communities to address local environmental challenges. To that end, ALUS and its communities have undertaken innovative projects to understand the impacts of community-led, nature-based solutions to watershed health.

ALUS generates funds from various sources, public and private, including corporate sustainability practitioners. This funding is deployed through the organization via non-prescriptive, place-based governance structure that is accountable and integrated. The strength of ALUS is in putting communities at the centre of agri-environmental activity and fostering opportunities for communication, knowledge transfer and skills development.

About ALUS

ALUS is a charitable organization that envisions a future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its turn-key farmer-led, community-delivered program, ALUS supports more than 430 community leaders across 39 ALUS communities in helping over 1,700 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage 52,000+ acres of nature-based projects. These projects, like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers and streams clean, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for extreme weather events like flood and drought.

ALUS helps governments, businesses and philanthropic foundations invest in Nature & Climate Solutions on agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic and social outcomes in the communities where they operate—one acre at a time.

Visit ALUS.ca to learn more.

About The Coca‑Cola Company

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands in Canada includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com.