Danielle Walwyn, Jenée Farrell and Stephanie Whiteman | Beneath the festive wrapping

As we are in the holiday season, big food and beverage companies ramp up their presence across the Caribbean with festive donations and giveaways – appearing in schools, churches, grocery stores, and community celebrations. On the surface, these donations look like acts of goodwill, but are they really?

Every year, companies known for sugary drinks and ultra-processed snacks swoop into schools with branded toys, treats, and monetary donations, hoping to win over children during one of the most joyful times of the year. These seemingly generous acts are a clever marketing strategy designed to make their logos and products become friendly, familiar fixtures in our lives — especially for young children. They want children to remember the free soda or snacks as a little piece of holiday magic. But here is where we need to hit pause. These brands aren’t just handing out holiday cheer. They are expanding brand visibility and building brand loyalty, one “gift” at a time.

It doesn’t stop at schools, either. In communities where families might already be struggling to put healthy food on the table, these donations can look like blessings. But let’s think about it: when the “gift” is a stash of ultra-processed food products – loaded with sugars, fats, sodium, and other additives — the very kinds of products that fuel childhood obesity and other health issues, can we really call this goodwill?

INCREASES PREFERENCE

This isn’t just our opinions. Research shows that marketing unhealthy foods to children increases their preference for these products, shaping lifelong eating habits. In the Caribbean, unhealthy diets have fuelled rising rates of overweight and obesity, placing the region among those with the highest global prevalence of related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes and hypertension, in the world.

We have watched these donations pop up all over social media, and we can’t help but wonder: What is the real motive here? The Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s campaigns, #ActonFacts The Food in Our Schools Matters, See the Truth and Make It Make Sense, helped us realise how these food companies can use these “good deeds” to hook new customers. It became clear that these donations aren’t free from strings – they are a direct line into the minds of children and the future of their health.

The global campaign Kick Big Soda Out, took this a step further by spotlighting how Big Soda (referring to the global soft drink giants) leverages sponsorships and donations to infiltrate not just communities but also high-profile platforms like sports. Backed by over 255,000 signatures and 93 organisations, including the HCC, the campaign petitioned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop Coca Cola’s sponsorship. While the IOC ultimately rejected the petition, Kick Big Soda Out succeeded in exposing how these marketing tactics blur the line between philanthropy and brand promotion.

Of course, some might say that these donations are essential to fill real financial gaps, especially in schools and communities where resources are tight. After all, budgets are limited, and sometimes these donations provide supplies or even meals that wouldn’t otherwise be available.

DID THINGS DIFFERENTLY

What if this holiday season we did things a little differently? Imagine if holiday donations were sponsored by companies that actually promote healthy lifestyles or even by companies that are health-neutral – no hidden marketing strings attached. And if a company manufactures both healthy and unhealthy products, what if they were required to donate only their healthy product lines or sponsor only under their healthy brands? This way, everyone, especially children, can enjoy the festivities without being bombarded by junk food marketing.

Organisations like the Healthy Caribbean Coalition have already laid the groundwork for this vision. Their newest publication, titled Safeguarding Public Health Nutrition In The Caribbean During Emergencies: Guidelines For Managing Donations From The Commercial Sector, recommends avoiding donations of ultra-processed products. Instead, these guidelines advocate for prioritising healthy, minimally processed foods to protect public health, particularly for vulnerable populations like children.

This season, let’s take action. Schools, parents, and policymakers: let’s partner with companies that truly align with the health and well-being of our communities. Let’s advocate for donations that promote good health not clever branding. And let’s show our children that the holidays can be about joy, generosity, and wellness – not just marketing and consumption. Together, we can make the holidays a time for good health and prosperity and build a better foundation for future generations.

Danielle Walwyn is the advocacy officer at the Healthy Caribbean Coalition; Jenée Farrell is a public health professional based in Trinidad and Tobago; Stephanie Whiteman is an assistant lecturer in public health at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com