Beef at the Olympics, Literally: Paris 2024 U-Turn on Meat Shows How Far We Are from A Viable Protein Transition

Paris 2024 was touted to be the most sustainable ever, with a majority of food being meatless – now, the Olympics has reneged on this promise. It’s a major failure.

For months, one of the dominating themes about the 2024 Olympics has been sustainability, and its decision to make 60% of all meals served meatless. In fact, the organisers pledged that nearly a third of the 13 million meals will be plant-based.

But now, following food shortages, complaints about inadequate protein, and overall dissatisfaction in the athletes’ village, meat is back on the menu.

French caterer Sodexo Live is responsible for supplying around 40,000 meals a day to the 15,000 athletes in the Olympic Village, using over 600 tonnes of produce provided by Carrefour. On Monday, however, the catering company made a temporary shift from its climate-friendly commitments, adjusting its supply of meat and eggs in response to feedback from Olympians in the opening days of the 2024 Games.

“Certain products, such as eggs and grilled meats, are particularly popular among athletes, so their quantities have been immediately increased,” Sodexo said in a statement.

Athletes had complained that the amount of food available to them was insufficient, especially items like grilled meat. It resulted in actions like eggs being rationed.

While all Olympic Games have teething problems, and food seems to be one of the issues in Paris this year, the fact that the organisers are resorting to a solution that rips apart months of promises and their commitment to lower their carbon footprint is a sad sight to behold. Especially for plant-based food. It’s a massive failure, and raises questions about how unprepared even some of the world’s biggest entities are when it comes to viable food systems transformation.

‘Not possible’ to go vegetarian, says Olympics food head

“Regarding the food we’ve had to make some adjustments, which is normal in operations that size,” Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois told a press conference this week. “There has been a reinforcement in animal proteins, with 700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat, to meet the demands of the athletes, who we place at the heart of the Paris 2024 experience.”

Some of the loudest complaints came from Team Great Britain. On the eve of the Opening Ceremonies, British Olympic Association CEO Andy Anson said the food was “not adequate”, criticising the caterers for a lack of eggs, chicken and certain carbohydrates, as well as for serving raw meat to athletes.

Mats Grambusch, captain of the German men’s hockey team, was also unhappy about the food. “Basically, it just takes an insanely long time because they’re completely overwhelmed at peak times,” Grambusch told the DPA news agency. “And then the quality and quantity of the meals aren’t good, because there are simply too many people coming at the same time.”

Other countries took matters in their own hands. The US carried 30 pallets’ worth of supplies, including 8,000 bottles of high-protein milkshakes. Australia, meanwhile, brought three tonnes of tuna, 10,000 muesli bars and 2,400 meat pies to sustain their 460-strong delegation of athletes.

In the lead-up to Paris 2024, the Olympics committed to hosting a carbon-friendly menu focused on local, seasonal and plant-based foods. But while meatless meals accounted for 60% of what spectators could buy at the venues, they only make up 30% of what’s available to athletes in the Olympic Village. This remains true after the adjustments, but the adjustments themselves leave a lot to be desired.

Philipp Würz, head of food at Paris 2024, told the Washington Post that athletes “need a lot of proteins”. “You can’t just say, okay, you go 60 or 100% vegetarian. It’s just not possible,” he said.

And that’s where the problem lies. The person responsible for food and drink at the world’s most celebrated sporting event is alluding that eating a plant-based diet rich in protein is impossible.

Olympics’ meat U-turn contradicts its own promises

Würz statement is a blow to the philosophy of vegan athletes competing at this year’s Olympics, and goes against proven research that plant proteins are nutritionally complete, can meet a person’s daily requirements, and are healthier than many animal proteins. Even governments are realising this, with more and more countries updating their dietary guidelines to acknowledge the efficiency of plant-based diets.

“Athletes requiring high animal protein diets is a myth that has been busted a long time ago,” Rafael Pinto, policy manager at the European Vegetarian Union, told Euronews. “Those perpetuating it in these Games aren’t basing their arguments on science.”

The Olympics’ U-turn mirrors the EU’s stance on its Farm to Fork strategy, which promotes plant-based diets for a more sustainable planet, and has been left reeling after successful attacks from livestock lobby groups such as Copa Cogeca.

Copa Cogeca president Christiane Lambert had already been on Paris 2024’s case about the shift towards plant proteins. “Prescribers [of these diets] have underestimated the need and desire for high-protein foods, offered by animal proteins, to repair muscles and recover between events and training sessions… need for carbohydrates too,” she wrote on Twitter/X.

Würz’s comment is also a blow to the Olympics’s decision to bring Michelin-starred chefs to its kitchens, in a bid to ensure that athletes would appreciate plant-based, climate-friendly food. But it seems that has been ineffective. Why even bother with such chefs if you don’t believe going 60-100% vegetarian isn’t possible for athletes’ protein needs?

Moreover, it’s a blow to the Games’ climate commitments. An additional ton of meat will only serve to inflate the tournament’s carbon footprint – producing meat accounts for twice as many emissions as plant-based foods. And while some athletes may be unhappy with a lack of meat, they’d probably be even more frustrated at the fact that this could be the hottest Olympics ever, posing a serious risk to their wellbeing.

It’s why educating athletes about the benefits of plant proteins is paramount, both for their performance and the planet. EVU’s Pinto put it best: “This is an opportunity to showcase to millions of people that plant proteins are a better alternative for the planet and can also support athletic performance.”