Two health experts called on the Olympic organizers on Wednesday to break off their relationship with Coca-Cola. The expensive sponsorship contract allows the US company to sell unhealthy, sugary drinks as “sportswashing.”
However, the International Olympic Committee said it was “incredibly proud” of the partnership with Coca-Cola, while the company said it also offers sugar-free drinks.
The health experts’ appeal comes in addition to criticism from environmental activists about the amount of plastic bottles used to serve fans at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The events in the French capital promoted the ubiquitous soft drinks from Coca-Cola, which has been a sponsor of the Olympic Games since 1928.
But these sugary drinks “offer little or no nutritional value” and advertising such unhealthy products has no place in sport, say Trish Cotter and Sandra Mullin of the global health group Vital Strategies.
Sugary drinks are one of the “main causes” of a number of serious health problems affecting people around the world, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, the two researchers wrote in a commentary in the journal BMJ Global Health.
Coca-Cola products also contribute to global plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and consume enormous amounts of water, they added.
“By continuing its association with Coca-Cola, the Olympic movement risks becoming complicit in exacerbating a global epidemic of malnutrition, environmental degradation and climate change,” the authors write.
“It is time for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to end its business relationship with Coca-Cola in the interests of athletes, spectators and the planet.”
A “responsible approach”
The IOC defended its partnership with the soft drink manufacturer.
“We are incredibly proud of our nearly 100-year partnership with The Coca-Cola Company,” said Anne-Sophie Voumard, IOC executive director of television and marketing services, at a daily press conference.
“From the IOC’s perspective, Coca-Cola is taking a responsible approach in supporting the families and fans of the athletes and is playing an essential role in the delivery of the Games,” she said.
Coca-Cola said in a statement that water, tea, coffee and juice will also be available at the Paris Games.
“As a full-range beverage manufacturer, we support the recommendation to limit added sugar to 10 percent of daily calories and are continually adapting our product range by reducing added sugar and introducing innovative products to meet evolving consumer tastes,” the report said.
In 2020, the US food and beverage giant signed a joint deal reportedly worth $3 billion to extend its sponsorship of the Olympic Games until at least 2032.
Cotter and Mullin found that Coca-Cola had more sports sponsorships last year than any other brand, including sportswear companies like Nike.
“This strategy culminates in a gold medal opportunity to ‘sportswash’ an unhealthy product,” they wrote.
The World Health Organization has called on countries to tax sugar-sweetened beverages.
A petition launched ahead of the Games entitled “Stop the Soda Industry from Sport” has collected more than 109,000 signatures and is supported by a number of public health organizations, including the World Obesity Federation.
plastic bottle
Environmental NGOs also criticize the amount of plastic used in drinks during the Olympic Games in Paris.
The Coca-Cola Company announced in May that nearly 10 of the 18 million drinks at the Olympic Games would use “no single-use plastic.”
At Olympic venues, bottles of Fanta, Sprite and Coca-Cola were served in reusable cups, a practice that some say runs counter to the Games’ claim to be the most environmentally friendly ever.
To reduce plastic consumption, around 700 drinking fountains were installed.
Where fountains are not possible, drinks will be served from glass or recycled plastic bottles in reusable and returnable cups provided by the organizing committee, Coca-Cola said on Wednesday.
“The scale and complexity” of the Games “provide a unique opportunity to test and learn about packaging distribution and we look forward to gathering insights from Paris 2024,” the company said.
This year’s games in Paris are still expected to achieve the goal of reducing the use of single-use plastics by 50 percent compared to the 2012 games in London, organizers said.
