Sunkist is a bit of a special case: the Sunkist name is owned by a farmers’ cooperative , while the soda you see on shelves is controlled by a major beverage company.

Who owns Sunkist?

  • The Sunkist trademark and brand (for citrus and the “Sunkist” name overall) are owned by Sunkist Growers, Inc. , a long‑running citrus growers’ cooperative based in California and Arizona.
  • The Sunkist soda line (like Sunkist Orange) is produced and marketed under license by Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) , which holds the rights to make and distribute Sunkist soda in many markets.

So in simple terms:

  • Farmers (through Sunkist Growers) own the Sunkist name.
  • Keurig Dr Pepper owns and runs the soda business attached to that name in most places.

Who is Sunkist Growers?

  • Sunkist Growers, Inc. is a non‑stock membership cooperative of citrus growers, founded in the late 19th century and headquartered in Valencia, California.
  • The cooperative is owned by its member growers , who pool their fruit and use the Sunkist brand to market fresh citrus and processed citrus products worldwide.

How the soda licensing works

  • Sunkist Growers licenses the “Sunkist” name to beverage companies; in the U.S. and many markets, that license is with Keurig Dr Pepper , which manufactures, markets, and distributes Sunkist soda.
  • In some other countries, Sunkist Growers has licensed regional bottlers and beverage groups to produce Sunkist‑branded drinks locally, under similar agreements.
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Aspect Sunkist Growers, Inc. Keurig Dr Pepper (re: Sunkist soda)
What it is Farmer‑owned citrus cooperative.Large beverage company (Dr Pepper, Snapple, etc.).
Role with Sunkist Owns the Sunkist name/trademark; licenses it.Produces and markets Sunkist soda under license.
Ownership Owned by citrus growers (co‑op).Publicly traded beverage company.
Core business Fresh citrus and citrus products.Soft drinks and other beverages, including Sunkist soda.
**TL;DR:** If you are asking “who owns Sunkist?” in the sense of the **brand name** , that’s **Sunkist Growers, Inc.**.

If you mean “who owns Sunkist soda in stores?”, that’s Keurig Dr Pepper , via a licensing deal with the cooperative.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.