Murray pointed to industry-funded research from North Dakota State University that concluded such a scenario would lead to a price decline for corn of between 15 and 34 cents per bushel, with associated reductions in corn cash receipts estimated between $2.2 billion and $5.1 billion.

After four decades of drinking Coca-Cola sweetened with corn syrup, Americans are going to get the chance to buy the soda made from domestic cane sugar. But whether U.S. farmers can meet that demand is unclear.

Coca-Cola’s announcement to launch a new cane sugar-sweetened variant in the United States this fall marks a departure from decades of high-fructose corn syrup dominance in American soft drinks. This move comes amid growing consumer demand for natural ingredients and pressure from President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services

PepsiCo and Dr Pepper have sold versions of their flagship sodas sweetened with cane sugar since 2009. Coca-Cola has sold Mexican Coke — which uses cane sugar — in the U.S. since 2005, but it’s positioned a trendy alternative and sold in glass bottles. Coke with cane sugar will likely be more widely available.

Mexican Coke sweetened with cane sugar tends to be a go-to beverage for Coca-Cola fans who want to avoid the U.S.-made version of the beverage with corn syrup. But soon, Coca-Cola will offer a version of its classic beverage sweetened with cane sugar manufactured in the U.S., according to multiple reports.

Louisiana has also seen production expand. The state has specifically seen an increase in sugarcane acreage when returns for competing crops, such as rice and soybeans, have decreased, according to the USDA. Each year from 2017 to 2021, the state produced 1.782 million tons of unrefined sugar.

As Coca-Cola confirms plans to release the cane sugar alternative in the U.S., some nutritionists said there is little health benefit as a replacement for high-fructose corn syrup.

President Donald Trump’s claim that Coca-Cola is switching to cane sugar has left a bitter taste for corn syrup lobbyists.