Diageo: Draining Communities While Pretending to Give Back
Posted on May 22, 2024 in Diageo, Manipulation, TanzaniaDiageo’s latest announcement about its subsidiary, Serengeti Breweries, partnering with WaterAid Tanzania and local authorities to provide clean water is a calculated PR move designed to distract from the alcohol industry’s well-documented role in water exploitation. This is classic corporate greenwashing – positioning themselves as water champions while draining communities dry to sustain their alcohol production.
Serengeti Breweries, like all major alcohol producers, relies heavily on water for brewing operations, using vast quantities that could otherwise serve local communities. While the company claims to be addressing water access, it simultaneously contributes to water scarcity through its industrial-scale consumption. This mirrors Diageo’s global strategy: over-extracting water resources while funding token clean-water projects to maintain a positive image.
An analysis by Movendi International highlighted how alcohol corporations routinely hijack water rights, particularly in regions facing severe shortages. By financing water projects, they gain goodwill, deflect scrutiny, and embed themselves in policymaking spaces that should prioritize public health, not corporate interests. This tactic mirrors Big Alcohol’s broader strategy of masking harm with selective philanthropy – whether it’s funding road safety campaigns while profiting from alcohol-related crashes, or promoting “moderation” while aggressively marketing their products.
Manipulation is Big Alcohol’s activity to control its image. The alcohol industry engages in manipulation activities to protect and cultivate their image and the values of their brands. Deploying manipulation strategies serves for Big Alcohol to appear as “good corporate citizens”. The focus of the DUBIOUS FIVE strategy of manipulation is the alcohol company, their brands and value. Examples are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), green-washing, pink-washing, rainbow-washing, or white-washing activities.