Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Africa, working to promote and defend Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) taxes in Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa, have released a report alleging beverage industry’s global campaign to thwart policies and weaken taxes that protect public health.
The report, ‘Sweetened Profits: The Industry’s Playbook to Fight Sweetened Beverage Taxes’, which was unveiled at a webinar, yesterday, demonstrated how the beverage industry, also referred to as Big Soda, allegedly used a global playbook of strategies to deny, dilute and delay effective policy on SSBs and other healthy food policies.
Among the CSOs are Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in Nigeria, (Reconciliation and Development Association (RADA) in Cameroun and Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) in South Africa.
Unveiled for the first time, last month, by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), the report was re-launched in Africa as part of activities for the Global Week for Action on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) from October 15 to 22 and to highlight efforts by Big Soda to weaken governments’ efforts to adopt SSB Tax and other important public health interventions on the continent.
GHAI’s analysis demonstrates how Big Soda not only uses its playbook to fuel the consumption of sugary drinks – a known driver of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other serious health problems – but also negatively impacts environmental sustainability.
The analysis surfaced as African nations were grappling with soaring rates of diet-related NCDs, with organisations, including RADA, pushing for a sweetened beverage and UPP tax in Cameroon, while CAPPA in Nigeria and HEALA in South Africa continued to protect the existing tax and urged the government to strengthen it to reach its public health objective.
“While the global community is working towards creating healthier populations, Big Soda is using its influence to derail policies that could save millions of lives and billions in healthcare costs,” said the Vice President, Food and Nutrition, GHAI, Verónica Schoj.
“Our report reveals the depth and breadth of the industry’s efforts to protect its profits at the expense of public health,” he added.
Through exhaustive monitoring and analysis, GHAI identified five strategies employed by Big Soda to obstruct SB taxes across more than 25 countries.
The Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, stated: “Beverage companies continue to exploit false narratives and inaccurate health claims with disregard for the health of the people. Their approach does not only show their focus on profit but reinforces the alarming way they mislead the public and interfere in policy processes.”
The CEO of HEALA, Nzama Mbalati, said: “The sugar industry uses the same playbook tactics employed by the tobacco, alcohol, gambling and ultra-processed food industries, which are often a barrier to the implementation of public health policies. These come at a high cost for ordinary citizens who carry the burden of ill health.”
