La Semaine du Goût ends its partnership with Philip Morris: A successful mobilisation against tobacco industry sponsorship

La Semaine du Goût (Swiss Week of Taste) has announced that it will end its partnership with Philip Morris as of 2027. This decision follows a mobilisation effort by Transparency and Truth (TnT) and several tobacco prevention partners, who helped expose and challenge this collaboration. It is a concrete example of action aimed at denormalising tobacco industry influence in Switzerland.

It all began in September 2026, when Santé Valais alerted TnT to the partnership between La Semaine du Goût and Philip Morris. TnT responded quickly by contacting Swiss public broadcaster RTS, which devoted a debate to the issue on Forum, one of the most widely followed news programmes in French-speaking Switzerland. At the same time, several tobacco prevention stakeholders, including Unisanté, contacted the organisers directly to raise awareness of the implications of this partnership.

At the heart of the controversy was Philip Morris’s support for a socially oriented culinary initiative, which notably offered meals in prestigious restaurants to people on modest incomes. By associating its name with values of solidarity, conviviality and social responsibility, the tobacco company seeks to improve its image and divert attention from the health and social consequences of its products.

On 6 November 2026, RTS reported that the Fondation pour la promotion du Goût had decided to end Philip Morris’s sponsorship as of 2027. A decision welcomed by TnT and its partners.

Denormalising tobacco industry influence, one action at a time

This case illustrates TnT’s strategy in practice: identifying tobacco industry influence tactics, exposing them, raising awareness among the organisations concerned and mobilising partners to encourage changes in practice.

Cultural and social sponsorship is a tool used by the tobacco industry to gain legitimacy. By funding popular events and charitable initiatives, tobacco companies seek to portray themselves as responsible businesses and normalise their presence in society.

The mobilisation surrounding La Semaine du Goût demonstrates that coordinated action between prevention organisations, the media and other stakeholders can help change these practices. It also serves as a reminder that cultural and social events can thrive without financial support from an industry whose products cause thousands of deaths in Switzerland every year.

For TnT, this decision represents an encouraging step forward and an example for other organisations that still maintain ties with the tobacco industry.

Further reading: RTS – La Semaine du Goût ends Philip Morris sponsorship as of 2027 (6 November 2026)