Two health experts on Wednesday urged Olympic organisers to cut ties with Coca-Cola, saying its huge sponsorship deal allows the US company to “sport wash” unhealthy sugary drinks.
But the International Olympic Committee said it was “very proud” of its partnership with Coca-Cola, which also offers sugar-free drinks.
The health experts' plea comes in addition to criticism from environmental activists over the amount of plastic bottles used to serve drinks to fans at the Paris Games.
The event in the French capital will feature an array of advertisements for the ubiquitous fizzy drink from Coca-Cola, which has been an Olympic sponsor since 1928.
But Trish Cotter and Sandra Marin of global health organisation Vital Strategies say these sugary drinks have “little to no nutritional value” and there is no place in sport for promoting such unhealthy products.
Sugary drinks are a “major contributor” to a range of serious health problems affecting people around the world, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, they said in an editorial in the journal BMJ Global Health.
He added that Coca-Cola products also contribute to global plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and use large amounts of water.
“By continuing its partnership with Coca-Cola, the Olympic Movement risks becoming complicit in exacerbating the global epidemics of malnutrition, environmental degradation and climate change,” the authors write.
“In the interest of athletes, spectators and the planet, it is time for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to end its partnership with Coca-Cola.”
“A responsible approach”
The IOC defended its partnership with the soft drinks company.
“We are extremely proud of our almost 100-year partnership with Coca-Cola,” Anne-Sophie Veumard, the IOC's managing director of television and marketing services, said at the daily press conference.
“From the IOC's perspective, Coca-Cola is taking a responsible approach to supporting athletes' families and fans and playing an integral role in the delivery of the Olympic Games,” she said.
Coca-Cola said in a statement that it would also provide water, tea, coffee and juice at the Paris games.
“As a total beverage company, we support the recommendation to limit added sugars to 10 per cent of daily calories and are continually adapting our product lines by reducing added sugars and introducing innovative products that meet changing consumer preferences,” the company said.
In 2020, the US food and beverage giants signed a joint deal worth a reported $3 billion that extended their Olympic sponsorship contracts until at least 2032.
Cotter and Mullin noted that Coca-Cola had more sports sponsorship deals last year than any other brand, including sportswear companies like Nike.
“This strategy leads to a gold medal opportunity to 'sportwash' unhealthy products,” they wrote.
The World Health Organisation has called on countries to impose taxes on sugary drinks.
A petition launched ahead of the Olympics called “Get Big Soda Out of Sport” has garnered more than 109,000 signatures and is backed by a range of public health organisations, including the World Obesity Federation.
PET bottles
Environmental NGOs have also criticised the amount of plastic used to serve drinks at the Paris Games.
Coca-Cola announced in May that about 10 million of the 18 million drinks served at the Olympics will be “single-use plastic-free.”
Fanta, Sprite and Coca-Cola bottles are being served in reusable cups at Olympic venues, a move critics say goes against the pledge to be the greenest in Olympic history.
Around 700 drinking water fountains have been installed to limit the use of plastic.
Coca-Cola said Wednesday that where fountains aren't possible, drinks will be dispensed from glass or recycled plastic bottles in reusable, returnable cups provided by organizing committees.
“The scale and complexity of the Olympic Games provides a unique opportunity to test and learn about packaging distribution and we look forward to learning from Paris 2024,” the company said.
Organizers said this year's Paris Games should meet their goal of cutting single-use plastics by 50 percent compared with the 2012 London Games.
Recommended Newsletters: CEO Daily provides essential context for the news business leaders need to know. More than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily every weekday morning for insight on and from the C-level. Subscribe now.
Source link
