I really need some help with working on sections 4.21 and 4.22 can some PLEASE help me.

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K \u0007 NNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES A EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 OR \u0007TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File No. 001-02217 (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) DELAWARE\t58-0628465 (State or other jurisdiction of (IRS Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) One Coca-Cola Plaza Atlanta, Georgia 30313 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (404) 676-2121 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $0.25 Par Value New York Stock Exchange Floating Rate Notes Due 2017 New York Stock Exchange Floating Rate Notes Due 2019 New York Stock Exchange 1.125% Notes Due 2022 New York Stock Exchange 0.75% Notes Due 2023 New York Stock Exchange 1.875% Notes Due 2026 New York Stock Exchange 1.125% Notes Due 2027 New York Stock Exchange 1.625% Notes Due 2035 New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes No Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K ( 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of \"large accelerated filer,\" \"accelerated filer\" and \"smaller reporting company\" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer Smaller reporting company (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes No The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant (assuming for these purposes, but without conceding, that all executive officers and Directors are \"affiliates\" of the Registrant) as of July 3, 2015, the last business day of the Registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $170,318,198,405 (based on the closing sale price of the Registrant's Common Stock on that date as reported on the New York Stock Exchange). The number of shares outstanding of the Registrant's Common Stock as of February 22, 2016, was 4,329,497,778. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the Company's Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareowners to be held on April 27, 2016, are incorporated by reference in Part III. Table of Contents Page Forward-Looking Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unresolved Staff Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Legal Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mine Safety Disclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Officers of the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 11 21 22 22 24 24 Part I Item 1. Item 1A. Item 1B. Item 2. Item 3. Item 4. Item X. Part II Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 6. Selected Financial Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 9A. Controls and Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 9B. Other Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 31 31 72 74 148 148 148 Part III Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 11. Executive Compensation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 148 148 149 149 Part IV Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Signatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This report contains information that may constitute \"forward-looking statements.\" Generally, the words \"believe,\" \"expect,\" \"intend,\" \"estimate,\" \"anticipate,\" \"project,\" \"will\" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future including statements relating to volume growth, share of sales and earnings per share growth, and statements expressing general views about future operating results are forward-looking statements. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made. Our Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our Company's historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Part I, \"Item 1A. Risk Factors\" and elsewhere in this report and those described from time to time in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PART I ITEM 1. BUSINESS In this report, the terms \"The Coca-Cola Company,\" \"Company,\" \"we,\" \"us\" and \"our\" mean The Coca-Cola Company and all entities included in our consolidated financial statements. General The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. We own or license and market more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands, primarily sparkling beverages but also a variety of still beverages such as waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. We own and market four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. Finished beverage products bearing our trademarks, sold in the United States since 1886, are now sold in more than 200 countries. We make our branded beverage products available to consumers throughout the world through our network of Company-owned or -controlled bottling and distribution operations as well as independent bottling partners, distributors, wholesalers and retailers the world's largest beverage distribution system. Beverages bearing trademarks owned by or licensed to us account for more than 1.9 billion of the approximately 58 billion servings of all beverages consumed worldwide every day. We believe our success depends on our ability to connect with consumers by providing them with a wide variety of options to meet their desires, needs and lifestyles. Our success further depends on the ability of our people to execute effectively, every day. Our goal is to use our Company's assets our brands, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach, and the talent and strong commitment of our management and associates to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for our shareowners. We were incorporated in September 1919 under the laws of the State of Delaware and succeeded to the business of a Georgia corporation with the same name that had been organized in 1892. 1 Operating Segments The Company's operating structure is the basis for our internal financial reporting. As of December 31, 2015, our operating structure included the following operating segments, the first six of which are sometimes referred to as \"operating groups\" or \"groups\": Eurasia and Africa Europe Latin America North America Asia Pacific Bottling Investments Corporate Except to the extent that differences among operating segments are material to an understanding of our business taken as a whole, the description of our business in this report is presented on a consolidated basis. Effective January 1, 2016, we transferred Coca-Cola Refreshments' (\"CCR\") bottling and associated supply chain operations in the United States and Canada from our North America segment to our Bottling Investments segment. For financial information about our operating segments and geographic areas, refer to Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II, \"Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data\" of this report, incorporated herein by reference. For certain risks attendant to our non-U.S. operations, refer to \"Item 1A. Risk Factors\" below. Products and Brands As used in this report: \t\u0007\"concentrates\" means flavoring ingredients and, depending on the product, sweeteners used to prepare syrups or finished beverages and includes powders for purified water products such as Dasani; \t\u0007\"syrups\" means beverage ingredients produced by combining concentrates and, depending on the product, sweeteners and added water; \t\u0007\"fountain syrups\" means syrups that are sold to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores, which use dispensing equipment to mix the syrups with sparkling or still water at the time of purchase to produce finished beverages that are served in cups or glasses for immediate consumption; \t\u0007\"sparkling beverages\" means nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages with carbonation, including carbonated energy drinks and carbonated waters and flavored waters; \t\u0007\"still beverages\" means nonalcoholic beverages without carbonation, including noncarbonated waters, flavored waters and enhanced waters, noncarbonated energy drinks, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and sports drinks; \t\u0007\"Company Trademark Beverages\" means beverages bearing our trademarks and certain other beverage products bearing trademarks licensed to us by third parties for which we provide marketing support and from the sale of which we derive economic benefit; and \t\u0007\"Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages\" or \"Trademark Coca-Cola\" means beverages bearing the trademark Coca-Cola or any trademark that includes Coca-Cola or Coke (that is, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Life, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero and all their variations and any line extensions, including Coca-Cola Light, caffeine free Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, etc.). Likewise, when we use the capitalized word \"Trademark\" together with the name of one of our other beverage products (such as \"Trademark Fanta,\" \"Trademark Sprite\" or \"Trademark Simply\"), we mean beverages bearing the indicated trademark (that is, Fanta, Sprite or Simply, respectively) and all its variations and line extensions (such that \"Trademark Fanta\" includes Fanta Orange, Fanta Zero Orange, Fanta Apple, etc.; \"Trademark Sprite\" includes Sprite, Diet Sprite, Sprite Zero, Sprite Light, etc.; and \"Trademark Simply\" includes Simply Orange, Simply Apple, Simply Grapefruit, etc.). 2 Our Company markets, manufactures and sells: \u0007beverage concentrates, sometimes referred to as \"beverage bases,\" and syrups, including fountain syrups (we refer to this part of our business as our \"concentrate business\" or \"concentrate operations\"); and \u0007finished sparkling and still beverages (we refer to this part of our business as our \"finished product business\" or \"finished product operations\"). Generally, finished product operations generate higher net operating revenues but lower gross profit margins than concentrate operations. In our concentrate operations, we typically generate net operating revenues by selling concentrates and syrups to authorized bottling and canning operations (to which we typically refer as our \"bottlers\" or our \"bottling partners\"). Our bottling partners either combine the concentrates with sweeteners (depending on the product), still water and/or sparkling water, or combine the syrups with sparkling water to produce finished beverages. The finished beverages are packaged in authorized containers such as cans and refillable and nonrefillable glass and plastic bottles bearing our trademarks or trademarks licensed to us and are then sold to retailers directly or, in some cases, through wholesalers or other bottlers. Outside the United States, we also sell concentrates for fountain beverages to our bottling partners who are typically authorized to manufacture fountain syrups, which they sell to fountain retailers such as restaurants and convenience stores which use the fountain syrups to produce beverages for immediate consumption, or to authorized fountain wholesalers who in turn sell and distribute the fountain syrups to fountain retailers. Our finished product operations consist primarily of our Company-owned or -controlled bottling, sales and distribution operations, including CCR. Our finished product operations generate net operating revenues by selling sparkling beverages and a variety of still beverages, such as juices and juice drinks, energy and sports drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and certain water products, to retailers or to distributors, wholesalers and bottling partners who distribute them to retailers. In addition, in the United States, we manufacture fountain syrups and sell them to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores who use the fountain syrups to produce beverages for immediate consumption, or to authorized fountain wholesalers or bottling partners who resell the fountain syrups to fountain retailers. In the United States, we authorize wholesalers to resell our fountain syrups through nonexclusive appointments that neither restrict us in setting the prices at which we sell fountain syrups to the wholesalers nor restrict the territories in which the wholesalers may resell in the United States. For information about net operating revenues and unit case volume related to our concentrate operations and finished product operations, refer to the heading \"Our Business General\" set forth in Part II, \"Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations\" of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference. We own numerous valuable nonalcoholic beverage brands, including the following: Coca-Cola Diet Coke/Coca-Cola Light Coca-Cola Zero Fanta Sprite 1 Minute Maid Georgia1 Powerade Del Valle2 Schweppes3 Aquarius Minute Maid Pulpy4 Dasani Simply5 Glacau Vitaminwater Bonaqua/Bonaqa Gold Peak6 FUZE TEA7 Glacau Smartwater8 Ice Dew9 Georgia is primarily a coffee brand sold mainly in Japan. We manufacture, market and sell juices and juice drinks under the Del Valle trademark primarily in Mexico and Brazil through joint ventures with our bottling partners. 2\u0007 3 Schweppes is owned by the Company in certain countries other than the United States. 4 Minute Maid Pulpy is a juice drink brand sold primarily in Asia Pacific. 5 Simply is a juice and juice drink brand sold in North America. 6 Gold Peak is primarily a tea brand sold in North America. 7 FUZE TEA is a brand sold outside of North America. 8 Glacau Smartwater is a vapor-distilled water with added electrolytes which is sold mainly in North America and Great Britain. 9 Ice Dew is a water brand sold in China. 3 In addition to the beverage brands we own, we also provide marketing support and otherwise participate in the sales of other nonalcoholic beverage brands through licenses, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, including, but not limited to, the following: \u0007We and certain of our bottlers distribute certain brands of Monster Beverage Corporation (\"Monster\"), primarily Monster Energy, in designated territories in the United States, Canada and other international territories pursuant to distribution coordination agreements between the Company and Monster and related distribution agreements between Monster and Company-owned or -controlled bottling operations, including CCR, and independent bottling and distribution partners. \u0007We produce and/or distribute certain other third-party brands, including brands owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (\"DPSG\"), which we produce and distribute in designated territories in the United States and Canada pursuant to license agreements with DPSG. \u0007We have a strategic partnership with Aujan Industries Company J.S.C. (\"Aujan\"), one of the largest independent beverage companies in the Middle East. We own 50 percent of the entity that holds the rights in certain territories to brands produced and distributed by Aujan, including Rani, a juice brand, and Barbican, a flavored malt beverage brand. \u0007We have a joint venture with Nestl S.A. (\"Nestl\") named Beverage Partners Worldwide (\"BPW\") which markets and distributes Nestea products in Europe and Canada under agreements with our bottlers. The Nestea trademark is owned by Socit des Produits Nestl S.A. Consumer demand determines the optimal menu of Company product offerings. Consumer demand can vary from one locale to another and can change over time within a single locale. Employing our business strategy, and with special focus on core brands, our Company seeks to build its existing brands and, at the same time, to broaden its historical family of brands, products and services in order to create and satisfy consumer demand locale by locale. We measure the volume of Company beverage products sold in two ways: (1) unit cases of finished products and (2) concentrate sales. As used in this report, \"unit case\" means a unit of measurement equal to 192 U.S. fluid ounces of finished beverage (24 eight-ounce servings), and \"unit case volume\" means the number of unit cases (or unit case equivalents) of Company beverage products directly or indirectly sold by the Company and its bottling partners (\"Coca-Cola system\") to customers. Unit case volume primarily consists of beverage products bearing Company trademarks. Also included in unit case volume are certain products licensed to, or distributed by, our Company, and brands owned by Coca-Cola system bottlers for which our Company provides marketing support and from the sale of which we derive economic benefit. In addition, unit case volume includes sales by certain joint ventures in which the Company has an equity interest. We believe unit case volume is one of the measures of the underlying strength of the Coca-Cola system because it measures trends at the consumer level. The unit case volume numbers used in this report are derived based on estimates received by the Company from its bottling partners and distributors. Concentrate sales volume represents the amount of concentrates and syrups (in all instances expressed in equivalent unit cases) sold by, or used in finished beverages sold by, the Company to its bottling partners or other customers. Unit case volume and concentrate sales volume growth rates are not necessarily equal during any given period. Factors such as seasonality, bottlers' inventory practices, supply point changes, timing of price increases, new product introductions and changes in product mix can impact unit case volume and concentrate sales volume and can create differences between unit case volume and concentrate sales volume growth rates. In addition to the items mentioned above, the impact of unit case volume from certain joint ventures in which the Company has an equity interest but to which the Company does not sell concentrates or syrups may give rise to differences between unit case volume and concentrate sales volume growth rates. Distribution System and Bottler's Agreements We make our branded beverage products available to consumers in more than 200 countries through our network of Company-owned or -controlled bottling and distribution operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, wholesalers and retailers the world's largest beverage distribution system. Consumers enjoy finished beverage products bearing trademarks owned by or licensed to us at a rate of more than 1.9 billion servings each day. We continue to expand our marketing presence in an effort to increase our unit case volume and net operating revenues in developed, developing and emerging markets. Our strong and stable system helps us to capture growth by manufacturing, distributing and marketing existing, enhanced and new innovative products to our consumers throughout the world. 4 The Coca-Cola system sold 29.2 billion, 28.6 billion and 28.2 billion unit cases of our products in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The unit case volume for 2015 and 2014 reflects the impact of the transfer of distribution rights with respect to non-Company-owned brands that were previously licensed to us in North American refranchised territories and the discontinuance of certain brands owned by our Russian juice company in connection with the transition in 2014 of our Russian juice operations to an existing joint venture with an unconsolidated bottling partner (for information about these structural changes, refer to the heading \"Operations Review Structural Changes, Acquired Brands and Newly Licensed Brands\" set forth in Part II, \"Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations\" of this report). The Company eliminated the unit case volume related to these structural changes from the base year, as applicable, when calculating 2015 versus 2014 and 2014 versus 2013 unit case volume growth rates. Sparkling beverages represented 73 percent, 73 percent and 74 percent of our worldwide unit case volume for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages accounted for 46 percent, 46 percent and 47 percent of our worldwide unit case volume for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. In 2015, unit case volume in the United States (\"U.S. unit case volume\") represented 19 percent of the Company's worldwide unit case volume. Of the U.S. unit case volume for 2015, 67 percent was attributable to sparkling beverages and 33 percent to still beverages. Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages accounted for 44 percent of U.S. unit case volume for 2015. Unit case volume outside the United States represented 81 percent of the Company's worldwide unit case volume for 2015. The countries outside the United States in which our unit case volumes were the largest in 2015 were Mexico, China, Brazil and Japan, which together accounted for 31 percent of our worldwide unit case volume. Of the non-U.S. unit case volume for 2015, 74 percent was attributable to sparkling beverages and 26 percent to still beverages. Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages accounted for 46 percent of non-U.S. unit case volume for 2015. Our five largest independent bottling partners based on unit case volume in 2015 were: \u0007Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (\"Coca-Cola FEMSA\"), which has bottling and distribution operations in a substantial portion of central Mexico, including Mexico City, and the southeast and northeast of Mexico, including the Gulf region; Guatemala City and the surrounding areas in Guatemala; Nicaragua (nationwide); Costa Rica (nationwide); Panama (nationwide); most of Colombia; Venezuela (nationwide); a major part of the states of So Paulo and Minas Gerais, the states of Paran and Mato Grosso do Sul and part of the states of Rio de Janeiro and Gois in Brazil; Buenos Aires and surrounding areas in Argentina; and the Philippines (nationwide); \u0007Coca-Cola HBC AG (\"Coca-Cola Hellenic\"), which has bottling and distribution operations in Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine; \u0007Arca Continental, S.A.B. de C.V., which has bottling and distribution operations in northern and western Mexico, northern Argentina, Ecuador and Peru; \u0007Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (\"CCE\"), which has bottling and distribution operations in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden; and \u0007Coca-Cola Iecek A.., which has bottling and distribution operations in Turkey, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Jordan, Iraq and Tajikistan and distribution operations in Syria. In 2015, these five bottling partners combined represented 34 percent of our total unit case volume. Being a bottler does not create a legal partnership or joint venture between us and our bottlers. Our bottlers are independent contractors and are not our agents. Bottler's Agreements We have separate contracts (\"Bottler's Agreements\") with each of our bottling partners regarding the manufacture and sale of Company products. Subject to specified terms and conditions and certain variations, the Bottler's Agreements generally authorize the bottlers to prepare specified Company Trademark Beverages, to package the same in authorized containers, and to distribute and sell the same in (but, subject to applicable local law, generally only in) an identified territory. The bottler is obligated to purchase its entire requirement of concentrates or syrups for the designated Company Trademark Beverages from the Company or Company-authorized suppliers. We typically agree to refrain from selling or distributing, or from authorizing third parties to sell or distribute, the designated Company Trademark Beverages throughout the identified territory in the particular authorized containers; however, we typically reserve for ourselves or our designee the right (1) to prepare and package such Company Trademark Beverages in such containers in the territory for sale outside the territory, (2) to prepare, package, distribute and sell such Company Trademark Beverages in the territory in any other manner or form (territorial 5 restrictions on bottlers vary in some cases in accordance with local law), and (3) to handle certain key accounts (accounts that cover multiple territories). While under most of our Bottler's Agreements we generally have complete flexibility to determine the price and other terms of sale of the concentrates and syrups we sell to our bottlers, as a practical matter, our Company's ability to exercise its contractual flexibility to determine the price and other terms of sale of its syrups, concentrates and finished beverages is subject, both outside and within the United States, to competitive market conditions. In addition, in some instances we have agreed or may in the future agree with a bottler with respect to concentrate pricing on a prospective basis for specified time periods. Also, in some markets, in an effort to allow our Company and our bottling partners to grow together through shared value, aligned incentives and the flexibility necessary to meet consumers' always changing needs and tastes, we worked with our bottling partners to develop and implement an incidence-based pricing model for sparkling and still beverages. Under this model, the concentrate price we charge is impacted by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, bottler pricing, the channels in which the finished products are sold and package mix. Under our Bottler's Agreements, in most cases, we have no obligation to provide marketing support to the bottlers. Nevertheless, we may, at our discretion, contribute toward bottler expenditures for advertising and marketing. We may also elect to undertake independent or cooperative advertising and marketing activities. As further discussed below, our Bottler's Agreements for territories outside of the United States differ in some respects from our Bottler's Agreements for territories within the United States. Bottler's Agreements Outside the United States The Bottler's Agreements between us and our authorized bottlers outside the United States generally are of stated duration, subject in some cases to possible extensions or renewals of the term of the contract. Generally, these contracts are subject to termination by the Company following the occurrence of certain designated events. These events include defined events of default and certain changes in ownership or control of the bottler. Most of the Bottler's Agreements in force between us and bottlers outside the United States authorize the bottlers to manufacture and distribute fountain syrups, usually on a nonexclusive basis. In certain parts of the world outside the United States, we have not granted comprehensive beverage production rights to the bottlers. In such instances, we or our authorized suppliers sell Company Trademark Beverages to the bottlers for sale and distribution throughout the designated territory, often on a nonexclusive basis. Bottler's Agreements Within the United States During the year ended December 31, 2015, our Company-owned operations manufactured, sold and distributed 82 percent of our U.S. unit case volume. The discussion below relates to Bottler's Agreements and other contracts for territories in the United States that are not covered by Company-owned operations. In the United States, certain Bottler's Agreements for Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages and other cola-flavored beverages have no stated expiration date. Our standard contracts for other sparkling beverage flavors and for still beverages are of stated duration, subject to bottler renewal rights. The Bottler's Agreements in the United States are subject to termination by the Company for nonperformance or upon the occurrence of certain defined events of default that may vary from contract to contract. Under the terms of the Bottler's Agreements, bottlers in the United States generally are not authorized to manufacture fountain syrups. Rather, in the United States, our Company manufactures and sells fountain syrups to authorized fountain wholesalers (including certain authorized bottlers) and some fountain retailers. These wholesalers in turn sell the syrups or deliver them on our behalf to restaurants and other retailers. Certain Bottler's Agreements, entered into prior to 1987, provide for concentrates or syrups for certain Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages and other cola-flavored Company Trademark Beverages to be priced pursuant to a stated formula. Bottlers that accounted for 6.9 percent of U.S. unit case volume in 2015 have contracts for certain Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages and other cola-flavored Company Trademark Beverages with pricing formulas that generally provide for a baseline price. This baseline price may be adjusted periodically by the Company, up to a maximum indexed ceiling price, and is adjusted quarterly based upon changes in certain sugar or sweetener prices, as applicable. Bottlers that accounted for 0.3 percent of U.S. unit case volume in 2015 operate under our oldest form of contract, which provides for a fixed price for Coca-Cola syrup used in bottles and cans. This price is subject to quarterly adjustments to reflect changes in the quoted price of sugar. 6 In conjunction with implementing a new beverage partnership model in North America, the Company has entered into comprehensive beverage agreements (\"CBAs\") with certain bottling partners pursuant to which we granted to these bottlers certain exclusive territory rights for the distribution, promotion, marketing and sale of Company-owned and licensed beverage products as defined by the CBA. In some cases, the Company has entered into, or agreed to enter into, manufacturing agreements that authorize certain bottlers that have executed CBAs to manufacture certain beverage products. If a bottler has not entered into a specific manufacturing agreement, then under the CBA for the applicable territories, CCR retains the rights to produce these beverage products and the bottlers will purchase from CCR (or other Company-authorized manufacturing bottlers) substantially all of the related finished products needed in order to service the customers in these territories. Each CBA generally has a term of 10 years and is renewable, in most cases by the bottler and in some cases by the Company, indefinitely for successive additional terms of 10 years each. Under the CBA, each bottler will make ongoing quarterly payments to CCR based on its gross profit in the refranchised territories throughout the term of the CBA, including renewals, in exchange for the grant of the exclusive territory rights. For more information about the North America refranchising transactions, refer to Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II, \"Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data\" of this report. Promotions and Marketing Programs In addition to conducting our own independent advertising and marketing activities, we may provide promotional and marketing services and/or funds to our bottlers. In most cases, we do this on a discretionary basis under the terms of commitment letters or agreements, even though we are not obligated to do so under the terms of the bottling or distribution agreements between our Company and the bottlers. Also, on a discretionary basis in most cases, our Company may develop and introduce new products, packages and equipment to assist the bottlers. Likewise, in many instances, we provide promotional and marketing services and/ or funds and/or dispensing equipment and repair services to fountain and bottle/can retailers, typically pursuant to marketing agreements. The aggregate amount of funds provided by our Company to bottlers, resellers or other customers of our Company's products, principally for participation in promotional and marketing programs, was $6.8 billion in 2015. Investments in Bottling Operations Most of our branded beverage products are manufactured, sold and distributed by independent bottling partners. However, from time to time we acquire or take control of bottling operations, often in underperforming markets where we believe we can use our resources and expertise to improve performance. Owning such a controlling interest enables us to compensate for limited local resources; help focus the bottler's sales and marketing programs; assist in the development of the bottler's business and information systems; and establish an appropriate capital structure for the bottler. In line with our long-term bottling strategy, we may periodically consider options for divesting or reducing our ownership interest in a Company-owned or -controlled bottler, typically by selling our interest in a particular bottling operation to an independent bottler to improve Coca-Cola system efficiency. When we sell our interest in a bottling operation to one of our other bottling partners in which we have an equity method investment, our Company continues to participate in the bottler's results of operations through our share of the equity method investee's earnings or losses. In addition, from time to time we make equity investments representing noncontrolling interests in selected bottling operations with the intention of maximizing the strength and efficiency of the Coca-Cola system's production, marketing, sales and distribution capabilities around the world by providing expertise and resources to strengthen those businesses. These investments are intended to result in increases in unit case volume, net revenues and profits at the bottler level, which in turn generate increased concentrate sales for our Company's concentrate and syrup business. When this occurs, both we and our bottling partners benefit from long-term growth in volume and improved cash flows. When our equity investment provides us with the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee bottler's operating and financial policies, we account for the investment under the equity method, and we sometimes refer to such a bottler as an \"equity method investee bottler\" or \"equity method investee.\" Our equity method investee bottlers include Coca-Cola FEMSA, in which as of December 31, 2015, we had an equity ownership interest of 28 . percent, Coca-Cola Hellenic, in which as of December 31, 2015, we had an equity ownership interest of 24 percent, and Coca-Cola Iecek A.S., in which as of December 31, 2015, we had an equity ownership interest of 20 percent. 7 Seasonality Sales of our nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages are somewhat seasonal, with the second and third calendar quarters accounting for the highest sales volumes. The volume of sales in the beverage business may be affected by weather conditions. Competition The nonalcoholic beverage segment of the commercial beverage industry is highly competitive, consisting of numerous companies ranging from small or emerging to very large and well established. These include companies that, like our Company, compete in multiple geographic areas, as well as businesses that are primarily regional or local in operation. Competitive products include numerous nonalcoholic sparkling beverages; various water products, including packaged, flavored and enhanced waters; juices and nectars; fruit drinks and dilutables (including syrups and powdered drinks); coffees and teas; energy and sports and other performance-enhancing drinks; filtered milk and other dairy-based drinks; functional beverages, including vitamin-based products and relaxation beverages; and various other nonalcoholic beverages. These competitive beverages are sold to consumers in both ready-to-drink and other than ready-to-drink form. In many of the countries in which we do business, including the United States, PepsiCo, Inc. (\"PepsiCo\"), is one of our primary competitors. Other significant competitors include, but are not limited to, Nestl, DPSG, Groupe Danone, Mondele-z International, Inc. (\"Mondele-z\"), Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (\"Kraft\"), Suntory Beverage & Food Limited (\"Suntory\") and Unilever. In certain markets, our competition also includes beer companies. We also compete against numerous regional and local companies and, in some markets, against retailers that have developed their own store or private label beverage brands. Competitive factors impacting our business include, but are not limited to, pricing, advertising, sales promotion programs, product innovation, increased efficiency in production techniques, the introduction of new packaging, new vending and dispensing equipment, and brand and trademark development and protection. Our competitive strengths include leading brands with high levels of consumer acceptance; a worldwide network of bottlers and distributors of Company products; sophisticated marketing capabilities; and a talented group of dedicated associates. Our competitive challenges include strong competition in all geographic regions and, in many countries, a concentrated retail sector with powerful buyers able to freely choose among Company products, products of competitive beverage suppliers and individual retailers' own store or private label beverage brands. Raw Materials Water is a main ingredient in substantially all of our products. While historically we have not experienced significant water supply difficulties, water is a limited natural resource in many parts of the world, and our Company recognizes water availability, quality and sustainability, for both our operations and also the communities where we operate, as one of the key challenges facing our business. In addition to water, the principal raw materials used in our business are nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners. In the United States, the principal nutritive sweetener is high fructose corn syrup (\"HFCS\"), which is nutritionally equivalent to sugar. HFCS is available from numerous domestic sources and has historically been subject to fluctuations in its market price. The principal nutritive sweetener used by our business outside the United States is sucrose, i.e., table sugar, which is also available from numerous sources and has historically been subject to fluctuations in its market price. Our Company generally has not experienced any difficulties in obtaining its requirements for nutritive sweeteners. In the United States, we purchase HFCS to meet our and our bottlers' requirements with the assistance of Coca-Cola Bottlers' Sales & Services Company LLC (\"CCBSS\"). CCBSS is a limited liability company that is owned by authorized Coca-Cola bottlers doing business in the United States. Among other things, CCBSS provides procurement services to our Company for the purchase of various goods and services in the United States, including HFCS. The principal non-nutritive sweeteners we use in our business are aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose and a sweetener derived from the stevia plant. Generally, these raw materials are readily available from numerous sources. However, our Company purchases aspartame, an important non-nutritive sweetener that is used alone or in combination with other important non-nutritive sweeteners such as saccharin or acesulfame potassium in our low- and no-calorie sparkling beverage products, primarily from Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and SinoSweet Co., Ltd., which we consider to be our primary sources for the supply of this product. Our Company generally has not experienced difficulties in obtaining its requirements for non-nutritive sweeteners and we do not anticipate such difficulties in the future. We work closely with Tate & Lyle PLC, our primary sucralose supplier, to maintain continuity of supply. 8 Juice and juice concentrate from various fruits, particularly orange juice and orange juice concentrate, are the principal raw materials for our juice and juice drink products. We source our orange juice and orange juice concentrate primarily from Florida and the Southern Hemisphere (particularly Brazil). We work closely with Cutrale Citrus Juices U.S.A., Inc., our primary supplier of orange juice from Florida and Brazil, to ensure an adequate supply of orange juice and orange juice concentrate that meets our Company's standards. However, the citrus industry is impacted by greening disease and the variability of weather conditions. In particular, freezing weather or hurricanes in central Florida may result in shortages and higher prices for orange juice and orange juice concentrate throughout the industry. In addition, greening disease is reducing the number of trees and increasing grower costs and prices. Our Company-owned or consolidated bottling and canning operations and our finished product business also purchase various other raw materials including, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (\"PET\") resin, preforms and bottles; glass and aluminum bottles; aluminum and steel cans; plastic closures; aseptic fiber packaging; labels; cartons; cases; postmix packaging; and carbon dioxide. We generally purchase these raw materials from multiple suppliers and historically have not experienced significant shortages. Patents, Copyrights, Trade Secrets and Trademarks Our Company owns numerous patents, copyrights and trade secrets, as well as substantial know-how and technology, which we collectively refer to in this report as \"technology.\" This technology generally relates to our Company's products and the processes for their production; the packages used for our products; the design and operation of various processes and equipment used in our business; and certain quality assurance software. Some of the technology is licensed to suppliers and other parties. Our sparkling beverage and other beverage formulae are among the important trade secrets of our Company. We own numerous trademarks that are very important to our business. Depending upon the jurisdiction, trademarks are valid as long as they are in use and/or their registrations are properly maintained. Pursuant to our Bottler's Agreements, we authorize our bottlers to use applicable Company trademarks in connection with their manufacture, sale and distribution of Company products. In addition, we grant licenses to third parties from time to time to use certain of our trademarks in conjunction with certain merchandise and food products. Governmental Regulation Our Company is required to comply, and it is our policy to comply, with all applicable laws in the numerous countries throughout the world in which we do business. In many jurisdictions, compliance with competition laws is of special importance to us, and our operations may come under special scrutiny by competition law authorities due to our competitive position in those jurisdictions. In the United States, the safety, production, transportation, distribution, advertising, labeling and sale of many of our Company's products and their ingredients are subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; the Federal Trade Commission Act; the Lanham Act; state consumer protection laws; competition laws; federal, state and local workplace health and safety laws; various federal, state and local environmental protection laws; and various other federal, state and local statutes and regulations. Outside the United States, our business is subject to numerous similar statutes and regulations, as well as other legal and regulatory requirements. Under a California law known as Proposition 65, if the state has determined that a substance causes cancer or harms human reproduction, a warning must appear on any product sold in the state that exposes consumers to that substance. The state maintains lists of these substances and periodically adds other substances to them. Proposition 65 exposes all food and beverage producers to the possibility of having to provide warnings on their products in California because it does not provide for any generally applicable quantitative threshold below which the presence of a listed substance is exempt from the warning requirement. Consequently, the detection of even a trace amount of a listed substance can subject an affected product to the requirement of a warning label. However, Proposition 65 does not require a warning if the manufacturer of a product can demonstrate that the use of that product exposes consumers to a daily quantity of a listed substance that is: below a \"safe harbor\" threshold that may be established; naturally occurring; the result of necessary cooking; or subject to another applicable exemption. 9 One or more substances that are currently on the Proposition 65 lists, or that may be added in the future, can be detected in certain Company products at low levels that are safe. With respect to substances that have not yet been listed under Proposition 65, the Company takes the position that listing is not scientifically justified. With respect to substances that are already listed, the Company takes the position that the presence of each such substance in Company products is subject to an applicable exemption from the warning requirement. The state of California and other parties, however, have in the past taken a contrary position and may do so in the future. Bottlers of our beverage products presently offer and use nonrefillable recyclable containers in the United States and various other markets around the world. Some of these bottlers also offer and use refillable containers, which are also recyclable. Legal requirements apply in various jurisdictions in the United States and overseas requiring that deposits or certain ecotaxes or fees be charged in connection with the sale, marketing and use of certain beverage containers. The precise requirements imposed by these measures vary. Other types of statutes and regulations relating to beverage container deposits, recycling, ecotaxes and/or product stewardship also apply in various jurisdictions in the United States and overseas. We anticipate that additional such legal requirements may be proposed or enacted in the future at local, state and federal levels, both in the United States and elsewhere. All of our Company's facilities and other operations in the United States and elsewhere around the world are subject to various environmental protection statutes and regulations, including those relating to the use of water resources and the discharge of wastewater. Our policy is to comply with all such legal requirements. Compliance with these provisions has not had, and we do not expect such compliance to have, any material adverse effect on our Company's capital expenditures, net income or competitive position. Employees As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, our Company had approximately 123,200 and 129,200 employees, respectively, of which approximately 3,300 and 3,800, respectively, were employed by consolidated variable interest entities (\"VIEs\"). The decrease in the total number of employees in 2015 was primarily due to the refranchising of certain territories that were previously managed by CCR to certain of the Company's unconsolidated bottling partners. For more information about the North America refranchising transactions, refer to Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II, \"Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data\" of this report. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, our Company had approximately 60,900 and 65,300 employees, respectively, located in the United States, of which approximately 500 were employed by consolidated VIEs in both years. Our Company, through its divisions and subsidiaries, is a party to numerous collective bargaining agreements. As of December 31, 2015, approximately 17,500 employees, excluding seasonal hires, in North America were covered by collective bargaining agreements. These agreements typically have terms of three years to five years. We currently expect that we will be able to renegotiate such agreements on satisfactory terms when they expire. The Company believes that its relations with its employees are generally satisfactory. Securities Exchange Act Reports The Company maintains a website at the following address: www.coca-colacompany.com. The information on the Company's website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available on or through our website certain reports and amendments to those reports that we file with or furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission (\"SEC\") in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (\"Exchange Act\"). These include our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. We make this information available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC. 10 ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the following factors, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. The risks described below are not the only risks facing our Company. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. Obesity concerns may reduce demand for some of our products. There is growing concern among consumers, public health professionals and government agencies about the health problems associated with obesity. In addition, some researchers, health advocates and dietary guidelines are suggesting that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, including those sweetened with HFCS or other nutritive sweeteners, is a primary cause of increased obesity rates and are encouraging consumers to reduce or eliminate consumption of such products. Increasing public concern about obesity; possible new or increased taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages by government entities to reduce consumption or to raise revenue; additional governmental regulations concerning the marketing, labeling, packaging or sale of our sugar-sweetened beverages; and negative publicity resulting from actual or threatened legal actions against us or other companies in our industry relating to the marketing, labeling or sale of sugar-sweetened beverages may reduce demand for or increase the cost of our sugar-sweetened beverages, which could adversely affect our profitability. Water scarcity and poor quality could negatively impact the Coca-Cola system's costs and capacity. Water is a main ingredient in substantially all of our products, is vital to the production of the agricultural ingredients on which our business relies and is needed in our manufacturing process. It also is critical to the prosperity of the communities we serve. Water is a limited resource in many parts of the world, facing unprecedented challenges from overexploitation, increasing demand for food and other consumer and industrial products whose manufacturing processes require water, increasing pollution, poor management and the effects of climate change. As the demand for water continues to increase around the world, and as water becomes scarcer and the quality of available water deteriorates, the Coca-Cola system may incur higher costs or face capacity constraints that could adversely affect our profitability or net operating revenues in the long run. If we do not anticipate and address evolving consumer preferences, our business could suffer. Consumer preferences are evolving rapidly as a result of, among other things, health and nutrition considerations, especially the perceived undesirability of artificial ingredients and obesity concerns; shifting consumer demographics, including aging populations; changes in consumer tastes and needs; changes in consumer lifestyles; and competitive product and pricing pressures. If we do not successfully anticipate these changing consumer preferences or fail to address them by timely developing new products or product extensions through innovation, our share of sales, volume growth and overall financial results could be negatively affected. Increased competition and capabilities in the marketplace could hurt our business. The nonalcoholic beverage segment of the commercial beverage industry is highly competitive. We compete with major international beverage companies that, like our Company, operate in multiple geographic areas, as well as numerous companies that are primarily regional or local in operation. In many countries in which we do business, including the United States, PepsiCo is a primary competitor. Other significant competitors include, but are not limited to, Nestl, DPSG, Groupe Danone, Mondele-z, Kraft, Suntory and Unilever. In certain markets, our competition also includes major beer companies. Our beverage products also compete against private label brands developed by retailers, some of which are Coca-Cola system customers. Our ability to gain or maintain share of sales in the global market or in various local markets may be limited as a result of actions by competitors. If we do not continue to strengthen our capabilities in marketing and innovation to maintain our brand loyalty and market share while we selectively expand into other product categories in the nonalcoholic beverage segment of the commercial beverage industry, our business could be negatively affected. Product safety and quality concerns could negatively affect our business. Our success depends in large part on our ability to maintain consumer confidence in the safety and quality of all of our products. We have rigorous product safety and quality standards which we expect our operations as well as our bottling partners to meet. However, we cannot assure you that despite our strong commitment to product safety and quality we or all of our bottling partners will always meet these standards, particularly as we expand our product offerings through innovation or acquisitions of products, such as value-added dairy products, that are beyond our traditional range of beverage products. If we or our bottling partners fail to comply with applicable product safety and quality standards and beverage products taken to the market are or become contaminated or adulterated, we may be required to conduct costly product recalls and may become subject to product liability claims and negative publicity, which could cause our business to suffer. 11 Public debate and concern about perceived negative health consequences of certain ingredients, such as non-nutritive sweeteners and biotechnology-derived substances, and of other substances present in our beverage products or packaging materials, may reduce demand for our beverage products. Public debate and concern about perceived negative health consequences of certain ingredients in our beverage products, such as non-nutritive sweeteners and biotechnology-derived substances; substances that are present in our beverage products naturally or that occur as a result of the manufacturing process, such as 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI (a chemical compound that is formed during the manufacturing of certain types of caramel coloring used in cola-type beverages); or substances used in packaging materials, such as bisphenol A, or BPA (an odorless, tasteless food-grade chemical commonly used in the food and beverage industries as a component in the coating of the interior of cans), may affect consumers' preferences and cause them to shift away from some of our beverage products. In addition, increasing public concern about actual or perceived health consequences of the presence of such ingredients or substances in our beverage products or in packaging materials, whether or not justified, could result in additional governmental regulations concerning the marketing and labeling of our beverages, negative publicity, or actual or threatened legal actions against us or other companies in our industry, all of which could damage the reputation of, and may reduce demand for, our beverage products. If we are not successful in our innovation activities, our results may be negatively affected. Achieving our business growth objectives depends in part on our ability to successfully develop, introduce and market new beverage products. The success of our innovation activities in turn depends on our ability to correctly anticipate customer and consumer acceptance and trends, obtain, maintain and enforce necessary intellectual property protections and avoid infringing on the intellectual property rights of others. If we are not successful in our innovation activities, we may not be able to achieve our growth objectives, which may have a negative impact on our financial results. Increased demand for food products and decreased agricultural productivity may negatively affect our business. We and our bottling partners use a number of key ingredients that are derived from agricultural commodities such as sugarcane, corn, sugar beets, citrus, coffee and tea in the manufacture and packaging of our beverage products. Increased demand for food products and decreased agricultural productivity in certain regions of the world as a result of changing weather patterns may limit the availability or increase the cost of such agricultural commodities and could impact the food security of communities around the world. If we are unable to implement programs focused on economic opportunity and environmental sustainability to address these agricultural challenges and fail to make a strategic impact on food security through joint efforts with bottlers, farmers, communities, suppliers and key partners, as well as through our increased and continued investment in sustainable agriculture, the affordability of our products and ultimately our business and results of operations could be negatively impacted. Changes in the retail landscape or the loss of key retail or foodservice customers could adversely affect our financial performance. Our industry is being affected by the trend toward consolidation in the retail channel, particularly in Europe and the United States. Larger retailers may seek lower prices from us and our bottling partners, may demand increased marketing or promotional expenditures, and may be more likely to use their distribution networks to introduce and develop private label brands, any of which could negatively affect the Coca-Cola system's profitability. In addition, in developed markets, discounters and value stores, as well as the volume of transactions through e-commerce, are growing at a rapid pace. The nonalcoholic beverage retail landscape is also very dynamic and constantly evolving in emerging and developing markets, where modern trade is growing at a faster pace