Organic and Fair Trade Colas (some better brands!)
Cola is one of the world’s most popular soft drinks, and dominated by two brands (Coca-Cola and Pepsi). They are separate companies, though have similar major investors.
Cola-Cola (headquartered in Georgia, USA) focuses solely on drinks, and also owns Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes and the chain Costa Coffee (which is taking over our high streets, and decimating local indie coffee shops).
The PepsiCo distributes Starbucks ready-to-drink coffees and Lipton teas, and also owns Quaker Oats (George Fox must be turning in his grave), Doritos and Cheetos.
In 2026, Coca-Cola had a major European recall over elevated chlorate levels (a chlorine by-product from treating water) in Belgium, and also had to recall thousands of cans in the US due to potential plastic contamination. There are also concerns over high sugar content (and we all now that diet cola is even worse for your teeth, due to high acidity). Both also sell in single-use virgin plastic bottles.
The history of cola drinks
So when did we start drinking cola, over homemade lemonade? It started in the late 19th century, when coca leaf and kola nuts were used to treat headaches and morphine addiction, originally sold in pharmacies as medicinal products.
Kola nuts are caffeine-rich seeds native to West African tropical rainforests. Early formulas contained cocaine, removed around 1903, replaced with ‘spent’ coca leaves for flavour.
Pharmacist John Pemberton was an an officer in the Battle of Columbus who sustained a sword slash to his chest and the pain resulted in an addiction to morphine. So when the prohibition banned alcohol, he decided to add carbonated water instead, to turn his concoction into a soft drink. First sold at 5 cents a glass at an Atlanta pharmacy.
Seven years later pharmacist Caleb Bradham created Brad’s Drink which went onto to be marketed as Pepsi-Cola, a digestive aid! Caleb had to sell the company at a loss in 1923 after making a massive gamble on sugar prices during World War 1. He had to sell his ‘secret recipe’ and returned to running a pharmacy in North Carolina.
What’s wrong with conventional cola brands?
Most ‘conventional colas’ use caramel for colour and an inorganic acid called phosphoric acid to give cola its sharp tangy flavour. But this preservative is linked with high consumption (over two cans daily) to kidney stones and lower bone density (as it inhibits the absorption of calcium).
Most kola farmers still get paid a pittance, compared to the price of both big brands. They don’t buy direct from farmers (unlike brands below). Instead, they buy nuts, sugar (from poor farming communities in Brazil, Mexico and Thailand), nuts, corn syrup and fruit concentrates from large global suppliers.
So there is no single standard wage. It’s estimated that a typical can of cola costs around 5 cents for 2 litres (the liquid costs less than the can) with most money spent on marketing. Plus of course shops receive a cut of the profits, and money is needed for fuel to drive cans of cola to supermarkets.
Back in the 80s, Michael Jackson was paid $5 million to promote Pepsi as ‘the choice of a new generation’.
Today neither drink is as popular as bottled water (far better to just drink filtered tap water in a reusable water bottle). Which is why both brands are desperately trying to make their drinks ‘healthier’ by launching stevia-sweetened and other versions.
Here are some better brands!
Avoid caffeine for pregnancy/nursing.
Most sodas are sold in glass bottles or aluminium cans (easily recycled, which saves up to 95% on making new aluminium, which then does not have to be mined). You could even set up a community aluminium can and foil recycling scheme, and raise money for community projects, by selling the cans back to industry.
Before recycling, pop ring-pulls back over holes (and pinch or flatten top) to stop wildlife getting trapped. Give cans a quick rinse beforehand to remove sugary scents (nutmeg in cola and spiced apple is toxic also to birds, wildlife and pets).
Steep Cola (cola without the caffeine)
Steep Cola is from a Manchester natural soda brand. Made with organic essential oils and cane sugar, it also features coriander, nutmeg and lavender, for a ‘classic cola cube’ taste. Also in a sugar-free version. The sugar-free version is sweetened with stevia.
Karma Cola (pays fair trade prices to farmers)
Karma Cola (also in glass bottles) sells organic cola drinks made with real coal nuts, with 1% of each drink going to kola-nut growing communities in Africa, who they also pay fairly. It’s cola with a conscience!
The sugar-free verson is sweetened stevia.
By empowering the eight communities that grow this brand’s kola nuts, it’s helping to protect over 1200 hectares of rainforest, which endangered species call home (11 primates, countless birds and at least 123 plant species that thrive in the canopy).
For each case sold on the website, the company plants 25 trees in the Amazon rainforest, also home to many endangered plants, birds, animals and marine species.
European production has now moved from Austria to Somerset, cutting over 78,000 kilometres of travel, and providing local jobs. Profits to Sierra Leone farmers have helped build new classrooms (and repair broken pumps so villages have safe drinking water).
Cola’s a multi-billion dollar industry. Yet almost none use real kola nuts now. This means the West Africans, who first cultivated the kola nut, receive no benefit. We wanted to change that. Founder of Karma Drinks
Whole Earth sparkling cola (sold in health shops)
Whole Earth sparkling cola is very nice, sold in many farm shops and health shops. This is the easiest option likely if you want to just pop in a store to find a natural cola.
Fentimans botanical cola (sold in pubs and hotels)
Fentimans botanical cola has been around 100 years. This is a nice cola (also in a cherry version) made with cinnamon, although some are sad that the company has recently been bought out, from its former independent base in Northumberland.
Gusto Organic cola (a natural energy drink)
Gusto organic cola is sweetened with blue agave juice. This is blended with organic citrus and spice extracts, along with Africa kola nuts and spring water. Also as cherry cola (sweetened with vanilla).
And naturally slim cola (contains organic Sicilian lemon juice).
Good cola brands in mainland Europe
