Activists Confront PepsiCo Leaders Across the Country

By Kelsey Baker

Last week, RAN activists confronted both Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo and Al Carey, CEO of PepsiCo North America, on the company’s connection to the exploitation of palm oil workers in Indonesia.

Watch this video of RAN activists who confronted Al Carey at The Outlook Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona:

Pepsi executives refuse to comment on the labor violations they know are taking place in their supply chain. Mr. Carey, who talked about corporate leadership during his speech at the conference, refuses to even acknowledge the roughly 3.5 million frontline employees on palm oil plantations in Indonesia. And Ms. Nooyi still fails to acknowledge the exploitation in Pepsi’s supply chain and refuses to take action. What kind of leadership is this?

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Yale Forestry students question Indra Nooyi’s leadership and PepsiCo’s palm oil supply chain.

These actions come on the heels of another confrontation just two weeks ago, when three different RAN activists disrupted CEO Indra Nooyi’s speech with hard-hitting questions during a high profile event in New York City. PepsiCo executives have the power to make a difference in the company’s palm oil supply chain, and we will keep pressuring them until they do.
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RAN Activists at the Outlook Leadership Conference in Arizona, after confronting PepsiCo CEO Al Carey.

There have been two independent investigations into the operations of Indofood––PepsiCo’s business partner in Indonesia––which have exposed worker exploitation on its palm oil plantations, including child labor, routine exposure to toxic materials and poverty wages. It’s been at least six months since PepsiCo has learned of this evidence and still, the company has taken no meaningful action.

We want to know: when will PepsiCo stop profiting from the exploitation of workers in Indonesia?

To end this gross exploitation for cheap snacks we must confront corporate power by taking our demands directly to the top decision makers. You can confront PepsiCo decision makers, too – take action at ran.org/solidarity