Victory! PepsiCo to Allow Shareholder Vote on Bull-Abuse Concerns After PETA Lawsuit
There may be something not-so-sweet about PepsiCo Inc.’s operations, but thanks to the PETA Foundation’s legal action on behalf of a PepsiCo shareholder, the company’s shareholders may soon seek answers. Less than a day after PETA Foundation attorneys sued PepsiCo for trying to block a shareholder proposal seeking an investigation into the treatment of animals in its supply chains, the company reversed course. It swiftly agreed to include a proposal on the matter in its 2026 annual meeting.
Why PETA Took the Cola Company to Court
PepsiCo’s bottling partner in India is tied to an industry where workers violently beat bulls with sticks and whips while forcing them to haul carts illegally overloaded with up to four tons of sugarcane. The shareholder resolution, submitted by PETA in November 2025, confronted PepsiCo executives for failing to address the well-documented cruelty—even when kind solutions are readily available, including eco-tractors that can replace multiple bulls in one go and improve production and delivery efficiency.
Instead of addressing the abuse, PepsiCo tried to block the resolution from even appearing on its upcoming annual meeting agenda. So PETA Foundation attorneys filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to ensure shareholders get the transparency they, and animals, deserve.
The lawsuit alleged that PepsiCo broke the law by failing to notify a shareholder of the supposed “deficiencies” in her proposal, while later claiming the issues weren’t fixed in time. Following PETA’s move, Pepsi agreed to put the resolution to a vote.
Sorry to Burst Anyone’s Bubble … Some Sugar Comes at a Cruel Cost
Bulls are naturally social, gentle animals who form close friendships and protect their fellow herd members. But in parts of India’s sugar industry, they’re treated like machines. Humans force them to work long, grueling hours under the blazing sun without rest or water. If the bulls “disobey,” slow down, or turn their heads, barbed-wire spikes dig into their faces, and thick ropes tear at their nostrils. Handlers sometimes even work them to death.
This is the hidden cost of “cheap” sugar.
A Flat Promise? Pepsi vs Its Own Standards
PepsiCo’s Global Policy on Animal Welfare states that “Good animal health and proper animal handling and care are essential elements of responsible food production. With all of our farmers, we emphasize responsible animal care and focus on continuous improvement …” The policy also cites the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst; discomfort; pain and injury; fear and distress; and the freedom to express normal behavior. Yet when PETA alerted company leadership to the abuse in India’s sugar industry, they failed to act.
At the very least, Pepsi owes consumers and shareholders honesty. At the company’s 2026 annual meeting, shareholders will have the chance to decide whether Pepsi should examine and disclose how workers treat animals in its supply chain.
How PETA Is Helping India’s Bulls
More than 50,000 PETA supporters have called on PepsiCo to require its partners and suppliers to switch to modern eco-tractors. Animal Rahat, a PETA-supported charity in India, has been leading the charge. Through its Sugarcane Industry Mechanization Project, Animal Rahat has replaced bull-driven carts with efficient, cost-effective tractors. Thanks to these efforts, one-third of Maharashtra’s sugar production is now bull-free.
A single tractor can carry up to 18 tons of sugar per trip, far more than a bull-driven cart—boosting farmers’ incomes while sparing animals from suffering.
PepsiCo can—and should—help us drive this transition. Join us in urging Pepsi to go bull-free:
