CGF Members Unite for a Common Cause – Consumer Health in Latin America

BOGOTA, Colombia, 11^th May 2017 – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has launched a new pilot programme in Bogota, Colombia, designed to provide consumers with nutrition and physical activity guidance and education to empower consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions. The programme will run across eight stores in the city and is titled, Give a Healthy Twist to Your Life. The programme is supported by CGF members Alqueria, Cencosud, Femsa, Grupo Bimbo, Grupo Éxito, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company.

Following the recent formation of the CGF’s Latin America Board and the opening of its Latin America office in Bogota, the CGF has been investigating ways that it can bring its regional members together to address a common challenge and deliver a collaborative initiative that helps empower consumers to make more informed decisions related to healthier diets and lifestyles.  The rollout of the Bogota pilot is the first such example of this collaborative effort in the region.

The Give a Healthy Twist to Your Life programme consists of educating consumers about proper nutrition, portion control, active living and how to read labels. To this end, since May, eight healthy stations have been installed in stores across Bogota – Carulla, Éxito, Jumbo and Metro de Bogotá – that will include onsite support and advice from trained nutritionists and physical trainers.

The points of sale are:

• Carulla: Carulla Pepe Sierra y Carulla 140.
• Éxito: Éxito Country y Éxito Colina.
• Jumbo: Jumbo Santa Ana, Jumbo Calle 80 y Jumbo Calle 170.
• Metro: Metro Tintalito.

 The CEOs of the nine participating organisations noted that their goal was to work together as retail marketers and manufacturers, regardless of whether they are competitors, with a collective approach that helps actively promote healthier lifestyles, and allows them to learn from current best practices on public health issues. By working together, the CEOs said, they can find the right actions to help people adopt healthier lifestyles.

Latin America was chosen as the location of the CGF’s first regional Board and for this pilot in response to the nutritional indicators of Latinos that highlight the growing problem of malnutrition and obesity in the region. According to Nilsen in its 2015 Global Health and Wellness Report, 34 million people go hungry in Latin America. At the same time, 59% of the population is obese, 54% think they are overweight and 56% are doing something to lose weight. In Colombia, per the National Nutrition Situation Survey (ENSIN), 1 in 2 people are overweight and only 1 in 4 Colombians do 150 minutes of physical activity, the recommended weekly amount for a healthy life.

Nilsen figures also show that healthy purchasing trends in the region have strengthened, with a 16% sales increase. In addition, 75% of Latin Americans are interested in changing their diet, 63% are starting to exercise regularly and 48% are looking to reduce portion sizes.

This pilot is part of a global framework on Collaboration for Healthier Lives, part of the CGF’s Health & Wellness Pillar. Its mission is to drive retailer and manufacturer collaboration for positive change, benefiting people and communities, as well as businesses.

People want to live healthier lives and expect the consumer goods industry to play a role to help them meet their health and wellbeing needs. Through the CGF’s Collaboration for Healthier Lives pilots, the CEO-led organisation’s approach is to have greater retailer-manufacturer collaborations and scaling up of programmes that bring together many-to-many to help inspire healthier communities and create a culture of prevention.

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About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.

For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

For further information, please contact:

Sharon Bligh
Director, Health & Wellness
The Consumer Goods Forum
hw@theconsumergoodsforum.com

Lee Green
Senior Manager, Communications
The Consumer Goods Forum
l.green@theconsumergoodsforum.com