Let Puerto Rico Sweeten the Deal

*Samuel A. Delgado

“Mi Gente,” listen up!  Coca‑Cola just cracked the door open. In July, CEO James Quincey confirmed the company will add a cane‑sugar version of classic Coke in the U.S. this fall. Coca‑Cola’s new cane sugar Coke isn’t about nostalgia either. It’s about market demand. Consumers are rejecting artificial sweeteners and rediscovering authenticity, real sugar, real flavor, real story. [1]. 

If this move takes off, Puerto Rican entrepreneurs should see it as a call to action—a chance to revive sugarcane agriculture on the Island, rebuild a lost industry, and reclaim a chapter of our economic history. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s strategy

Here’s the truth: we used to feed America’s sweet tooth. In the early 1950s, Puerto Rico produced over a million tons of raw sugar a year [2]. Then policy, politics, and global costs chewed up the industry. The last major refinery shut in 2003; by 2024, federal reports marked Puerto Rico as having “permanently exited sugarcane production” [2]. That’s not destiny that’s a decision we can reverse.

If you want a modern playbook, look at coffee. Specialty growers, agritourism, and brand‑first storytelling have started to claw back market share for Puerto Rican beans even after hurricanes, earthquakes and blackouts [3]. It’s small, it’s scrappy, it’s rising proof that premium, place‑based agriculture still wins when we bring craft, pride, and hustle. Sugar can follow the same arc only bigger.

Coca‑Cola isn’t a mom‑and‑pop buyer; it runs on standards. The company’s Principles for Sustainable Agriculture and supplier rules point to certifications like Bonsucro and chain‑of‑custody tracking [4][5]. Translation: if we want in, we have to be documentably sustainable from farm to mill. That’s not a barrier; it’s a blueprint. Puerto Rican growers can meet it with the right financing, training, and governance.

The assets are here. Autoridad de Tierras controls agricultural parcels that can be leased to producers, and its FIDA fund plus ADEA can underpin capital, equipment, and startup working lines [6][7]. Overlay Act 60 ag incentives, and suddenly pilot acreage pencils out. If you’ve got the will and a business plan, Puerto Rico has the tools.

And we’re not starting from zero in the Coke universe. Coca‑Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers manufactures and distributes on‑island; Coca‑Cola also operates the Caribbean Refrescos concentrate facility [8]. That means local anchor partners, real procurement teams, and a logistics footprint already in place, exactly what you want when you’re pitching a certified cane‑sugar pipeline from Puerto Rican fields to a global brand.

Now, the Marine in me will be straight with you: this will be a challenge with strong emphasis on a vision. This is a build‑to‑spec mission. If Puerto Rican entrepreneurs want a seat in Coca‑Cola’s cane‑sugar supply chain, here’s the plan:

1) Form the Puerto Rico Cane Collective (PRCC). A producer‑led co‑op with a professional ops team to negotiate acreage, enforce agronomic standards, and centralize compliance, safety, and labor practices. Day one mandate: audit parcels for soil, water, and logistics fit, then map a 3‑year ramp.

2) Certify from the start. Design operations to meet Bonsucro production and chain‑of‑custody requirements out of the gate [4]. Use Bonsucro’s training and gap analysis tools; pick a certification body and lock a timeline. This is your passport into corporate beverage supply.

3) Launch a 5,000‑acre pilot on the South Coast. Stage it in blocks that can be mechanized and irrigated efficiently, with green‑harvest practices to protect air and soil. Supply either (a) local micro‑milling to VHP/raw sugar for refining through a U.S. partner, booked under Bonsucro mass balance, or (b) direct toll‑refining with an established cane refiner while PRCC scales yield.

4) Finance the ramp with layered capital. Blend ADEA and FIDA support with private equity, bank lines, and USDA programs, including Climate‑Smart funding where applicable (water use, soil carbon, resilient cultivars) [6]. Act 60 reduces friction on capex and opex [7]. This stack turns “can we?” into “we did.”

5) Sign an offtake MOU with Coca‑Cola (and bottler partners). Start with a modest volume commitment tied to milestones acreage certified, yield per hectare, and verified chain‑of‑custody. That gives producers bankable demand and gives Coca‑Cola a reliable, U.S. cane story that aligns with its supplier principles [5].

6) Stand up a training pipeline. Partner with UPR‑Mayagüez and Bonsucro trainers for agronomy, harvest logistics, and compliance. Rebuild the technical workforce that sugar once had. This time with AI, data, sensors, and regenerative practices.

7) Tell the story right. “Caña Boricua, grown clean, certified, and owned by Puerto Ricans.” Put that on the pallet sheet and the press release. This isn’t charity; it’s premium cane with provenance.

Why now? Because the demand signal exists. Coca‑Cola is expanding the portfolio to include cane‑sugar Coke in the U.S. and when giants move, supply chains rearrange [1]. If we don’t step up, someone else will. Let’s not repeat old mistakes and watch opportunity sail past Ponce on a cargo ship headed somewhere else.

To my fellow Puerto Ricans: this is a call to build, not beg. We’ve done hard things before. We can do this together, disciplined, mission focused.

To Coca‑Cola and Mr. Quincey: if you truly want differentiated, sustainable, U.S. cane, put Puerto Rico on the list. Meet us halfway with a serious offtake framework and supplier development support. Give entrepreneurs here a fair shot at certification, finance, and scale. We’ll deliver cane that meets your standard and honors our heritage.

As a teenager visiting my abuela, I remember seeing the cane fields, rail tracks and refinery along La Ruta 2 north of Mayaguez. My own grandfather worked the sugar mill in Guánica. I believe there is an opportunity to revive the sugar industry.  This time owned and operated by Puerto Ricans, not Domino and mainland interest.  Puerto Rico doesn’t need sympathy; we need contracts and acreage. Coke is turning the key. It’s on us to open the gate and plant.

Let Puerto Rico sweeten the deal.

References:

1. Coca-Cola to launch U.S. cane sugar Coke: https://www.foodandwine.com/coca-cola-confirms-cane-sugar-coke-in-us-11777580

2. Puerto Rico Sugar Industry Historical Data and Decline: https://puertoricoreport.com/a-page-from-history-the-sugar-industry-in-puerto-rico/

3. Puerto Rican Coffee Sector Recovery: https://www.baristamagazine.com/grounds-for-growth-how-agritourism-is-reviving-puerto-ricos-coffee-industry-part-one/

4. Bonsucro Certification Standards: https://bonsucro.com/production-standard/

5. Coca-Cola Supplier Guidelines: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/policies-and-practices/principles-for-sustainable-agriculture
6. PR Department of Agriculture – ADEA: https://www.agricultura.pr.gov/

7. PR Land and Incentive Programs: http://www.valueaddedpr.com/tax-incentives-puerto-rico-act-20-act-22/#:~:text=100%25%20exemption%20on%20taxes%20for,subsidy%20program%20to%20eligible%20farmer

8.  Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Coca-Cola%20Company.pdf

*Samuel A. Delgado is former Vice-Chair of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, retired vice president of external affairs for Verizon New Jersey Inc. and former Chairman of the Newark Regional Business Partnership.