Nestlé boycott

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In the United States, a boycott of the Nestlé company was initiated on July 4, 1977 . The boycott spread to Europe in the early 1980s and was triggered by concerns about Nestlé's “aggressive marketing” of breast milk substitutes, particularly in underdeveloped countries. The boycott has been lifted and renewed due to the business practices of Nestlé and other substitute manufacturers monitored by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN). The organizers of the boycott claim that replacing breast milk is detrimental to infant health. As of 2013, the Nestlé boycott was coordinated by the Nestlé International Boycott Committee, whose secretariat was the British group Baby Milk Action.

Controversy over baby milk

Groups like the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and Save the Children argue that promoting infant formula through breastfeeding has led to infant health problems and deaths in less economically developed countries. There are three problem areas that can arise when poor mothers in developing countries switch to breast milk substitutes, as well as a list of breast milk benefits:

  • Hygiene:
    • The formula must be mixed with water, which is often impure or undrinkable in poor countries and which causes disease in infants at risk. Due to the low literacy rate in developing countries, many mothers are unaware of the hygiene methods used in the manufacture of bottles. Even mothers who can read in their native language may not be able to read the language in which the sterilization instructions are written.
    • Although some mothers can understand the standards of hygiene required, they often don't have the means to carry them out: fuel to boil water, electric (or other reliable) light to allow sterilization at night. UNICEF estimates that a formula-fed child living in disease-related and unsanitary conditions is between 6 and 25 times more likely to die of diarrhea and four times more likely to die of pneumonia than a breastfed child.
  • Nutritional value:
    • Many poor mothers use less formula powder than necessary to make a container of the powder last longer. As a result, some infants receive inadequate nutrition due to poor solutions.
    • Breast milk has many natural benefits that are absent from the formula. Nutrients and antibodies are passed on to the baby while hormones are released into the mother's body. Breast-fed babies are protected to varying degrees from a number of diseases, including diarrhea, bacterial meningitis, gastroenteritis, ear infections, and respiratory infections. Breast milk contains the right amount of the nutrients that are important for neurons (brain and nerves) development. The bond between baby and mother can be strengthened while breastfeeding. Frequent and exclusive breastfeeding can also delay the return of fertility, which can help women in developing countries plan their births. The World Health Organization recommends that babies, in most cases, be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and then supplemented with food in addition to breastfeeding for up to two years or more.
  • Receive milk supply:
    • The practice of relying on free formulas in maternity wards often means the mother will lose the ability to make her own milk and will have to purchase formula (as noted in the following paragraph).

Stakeholders and charities have accused Nestlé of unethical practices in promoting infant formula versus breast milk in poor mothers in developing countries. For example, IBFAN claims that Nestlé is distributing free formula samples to hospitals and maternity wards; After leaving the hospital, the formula is no longer free, but since the supplement affected lactation, the family must continue to purchase the formula. IBFAN also claims that Nestlé uses "humanitarian aid" to create markets, does not label its products in a language appropriate to the countries in which they are sold, and offers gifts and sponsorship to help health workers promote its products to influence. Nestlé denies these allegations.

history

Nestlé's marketing strategy was first described in New Internationalist magazine in 1973 and in a 1974 brochure called The Baby Killer , published by the British NGO War On Want . Nestlé tried to sue the editor of a German translation ( Nestlé kills Babies ), the Working Group Third World Bern , for defamation. After a two-year trial, the court ruled in favor of Nestlé because they could not be "criminally" held responsible for the infant deaths. Since the defendants were only fined 300 Swiss francs (slightly more than 400 US dollars, adjusted for inflation) and judge Jürg Sollberger declared that Nestlé had to “fundamentally change its advertising methods”, Time declared this to be a “moral victory” for the accused Third World Working Group. This led to similar legal challenges against other dairy companies in the United States, led by the Roman Catholic Missionaries of the Precious Blood in association with the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility.

The widespread public relations work led the Infant Formula Action Coalition (INFACT) to trigger the boycott in Minneapolis, USA. This boycott soon spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Europe. In May 1978 the US Senate held a public hearing promoting breast milk substitutes in developing countries and endorsed calls for a marketing code. In 1979 the World Health Organization and UNICEF held an international meeting calling for the development of an international marketing code and action on other fronts to improve the feeding practices of infants and premature babies. The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) was formed by six campaign groups at this meeting.

In 1981, the 34th World Health Assembly (WHA) passed resolution WHA34.22, which contains the International Code for the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes . The Code applies to infant formula and other dairy products, foods and beverages when they are marketed or otherwise presented as being a partial or total substitute for breast milk. It prohibits the promotion of breast milk substitutes and gives health workers responsibility for advising parents. It limits manufacturing companies to providing scientific and factual information to health workers and defines labeling requirements.

In 1984 the boycott coordinators met with Nestlé, which agreed to implement the code, and the boycott was officially suspended. In 1988, IBFAN stated that formula companies were flooding healthcare facilities in developing countries with free and low-cost supplies, and the boycott was revived the following year.

In May 1999 the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued a decision against Nestlé. Nestlé claimed in an anti-boycott advertisement that it was "ethically and responsibly" marketing infant formula. The ASA found that Nestlé could not support this or any other claim given the evidence presented by the Baby Milk Action campaign group.

In November 2000 the European Parliament asked IBFAN, UNICEF and Nestlé to provide evidence before a public hearing before the Committee on Development and Cooperation. The IBFAN group in Pakistan produced evidence and the UNICEF Legal Representative commented on Nestlé's failure to bring its policies into line with World Health Assembly resolutions. Nestlé declined an invitation to attend and raised planning conflicts, despite the fact that it sent a representative from the accounting firm it had hired to prepare a report on its operations in Pakistan.

Current status

As of 2013, the Nestlé boycott will be coordinated by the Nestlé International Boycott Committee, whose secretariat is the British group Baby Milk Action. The company's business practices are monitored by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), which consists of more than 200 groups in over 100 countries.

In addition to the boycott, activists are campaigning for the code and resolutions to be put into law, claiming that 60 countries have now passed laws that implement most or all of the provisions.

Some universities, colleges and schools have banned Nestlé products from their stores and vending machines in the period since the revelations. In the UK, 73 student unions, 102 companies, 30 faith groups, 20 health groups, 33 consumer groups, 18 local authorities, 12 unions, education groups, 31 MPs and many celebrities support the Nestlé boycott.

Nestlé claims that it is fully compliant with the international code. According to Peter Brabeck-Letmathe , CEO of Nestlé, “We also conduct annual WHO Code compliance audits on a sample of Nestlé companies and investigate any substantiated claims made by those who believe we have violated the Code ... If we We are taking disciplinary action because the Code has been deliberately violated. ”The company claims that many of the allegations are unfounded, outdated, or used by IBFAN's own non-standard interpretation of the Code.

In May 2011, the debate about Nestlé's unethical marketing of infant formula in the Asia-Pacific region resumed. Nineteen leading international NGOs based in Laos, including Save the Children , Oxfam , CARE International , Plan International and World Vision , have launched a boycott of Nestlé and written an open letter to the company. Among other unethical practices, the NGOs criticized the lack of labeling in Laos and the provision of incentives for doctors and nurses to encourage the use of infant formula. An independent review of Nestlé's marketing practices in Laos was commissioned by Nestlé and carried out by Bureau Veritas in late 2011. The audit found that "the requirements of the WHO Code and Laos PDR Decree are well established throughout the company" but "promotional" materials in 4% of retail stores visited "violated either or against the Laos PDR Decree the WHO Code.

In the media

An episode of The Mark Thomas Comedy Product , produced by UK broadcaster Channel 4 in 1999, examined Nestlé's boycott and practices on baby milk. Mark Thomas tried to find evidence of claims against Nestlé and spoke to the heads of the company. In one part of the show he was given "a can of baby milk from Mozambique. All instructions are in English. 33 languages ​​and dialects are recognized in Mozambique. Portuguese is the official language. However, only about 30% of the population can speak it.

In 2001, comedian Robert Newman and actress Emma Thompson called for a boycott of the Perrier Comedy Award since Perrier is owned by Nestlé. An alternative competition called the Tap Water Awards was announced the following year.

In 2002, writers Germaine Greer and Jim Crace withdrew from the Hay Festival in protest of Nestlé's sponsorship of the event .

A 2007 article in The Guardian highlighted aggressive marketing practices by Nestlé in Bangladesh .

The 2014 film Tigers is based on the 1977 Pakistani Nestle infant formula controversy.

The boycott in Canada in 2016

The Council of Canadians , a social action organization, launched a boycott in September 2016 in response to the company outbid a small town to ensure long-term water supply from a local well, stressing the need to reform the bottled water industry amid drought in the country and the depletion of groundwater reserves.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Baby formulas linked to infant deaths overseas. In: Minneapolis Star . September 9, 1978, accessed December 5, 2019 .
  2. ^ Jill Krasny: Every Parent Should Know The Scandalous History Of Infant Formula. In: Business Insider . June 25, 2012, accessed December 5, 2019 .
  3. ^ Theresa Macdonald: Simple formula urged for healthy children. In: Regina Leader-Post . October 24, 1987. Retrieved December 5, 2019 .
  4. ^ Nestle Boycott Being Suspended. In: New York Times . January 27, 1984. Retrieved December 5, 2019 .
  5. ↑ What is the problem? In: IBFAN . Retrieved June 6, 2007 .
  6. ^ A Generation On: Baby milk marketing still putting children's lives at risk Save the Children , Report, May 2007 (PDF).
  7. ↑ a b c Joanna Moorhead: Milking it. In: The Guardian . May 15, 2007, accessed March 28, 2020 .
  8. ^ Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care. UNICEF , accessed June 8, 2007 .
  9. ^ World Concern - Witness the Transformation. Retrieved December 21, 2016 .
  10. ↑ Breastfeeding. In: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 23, 2007 .
  11. ↑ LM Gartner: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. In: Pediatrics , Vol. 115, No. 2, 2005, pp. 496-506. doi : 10.1542 / peds.2004-2491 ( Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ a b Mothers and Children Benefit from Breastfeeding. In: Womenshealth.gov. February 27, 2009, archived from the original on March 16, 2009 ; accessed on March 28, 2020 .
  13. ↑ "Gastroenteritis" . Merck Manuals Online Medical Library . February 1, 2003. Retrieved November 21, 2006.
  14. ↑ S. Atkinson, Bo Lönnerdal: Proteins and non-protein nitrogens in human milk . CRC Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8493-6795-6 , pp. 131 .
  15. ↑ Comparison of Effectiveness. In: Planned Parenthood. April 2005, accessed August 12, 2006 . , based on:
    RA Hatcher, J. Trussel, F. Stewart: Contraceptive Technology . 18th edition. Ardent Media, New York 2000, ISBN 0-9664902-6-6 .
  16. ^ World Health Organization , "Global strategy for infant and young child feeding", section titled "EXERCISING OTHER FEEDING OPTIONS", November 24, 2001
  17. ^ Nestle Products to Boycott. Retrieved December 21, 2016 .
  18. ^ A b History of the Baby Milk Action Group campaign
  19. ↑ How breastfeeding is undermined. (No longer available online.) IBFAN , archived from the original on April 15, 2007 ; Retrieved June 6, 2007 .
  20. ↑ a b WHO Code Violation Allegations. (No longer available online.) Nestlé, archived from the original on April 9, 2007 ; Retrieved June 6, 2007 .
  21. ^ Sethi, S. Prakash: Multinational Corporations and the Impact of Public Advocacy on Corporate Strategy: Nestlé and the Infant Formula Controversy. In: Journal of International Business Studies , Volume 25, No. 3, 1994, pp. 658-660. doi : 10.1057 / jibs.1994.41
  22. ↑ Historical Data for Switzerland / US Foreign Exchange Rate. Retrieved December 21, 2016 .
  23. ^ The Formula Flap TIME Magazine, Jul. 12, 1976
  24. ↑ Mike Muller: Nestlé baby milk scandal has grown up but not gone away. In: The Guardian . February 13, 2013, accessed December 21, 2016 .
  25. ^ The International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. WHO, 1981, accessed June 6, 2007 .
  26. ^ Annabel Ferriman: Advertising Standards Authority finds against Nestlé . In: BMJ . tape 318 , no. 7181 , February 13, 1999, p. 417 , doi : 10.1136 / bmj.318.7181.417a , PMID 9974443 , PMC 1114895 (free full text) - ( online ).
  27. ^ European Parliament public hearing on Nestlé's baby food marketing. Breast Feeding Promotion Network of India, November 22, 2000.
  28. ↑ MEPs shocked as Nestlé and Adidas snub Public Hearing on corporate responsibility. Baby Milk Action, November 23, 2000.
  29. ^ European Parliament Committee on Development. (No longer available online.) In: Nestlé. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007 ; Retrieved June 7, 2007 .
  30. ↑ Baby Milk Action website
  31. ^ The role of regulations in protecting infant health. IBFAN , accessed June 7, 2007 .
  32. ^ Students to vote on Coca-Cola boycott. Retrieved December 21, 2016 .
  33. ↑ leedsstudent.org - leedsstudent Resources and Information. Retrieved December 21, 2016 .
  34. ^ Nestle Products Are Banned by FSA
  35. ↑ UK groups endorsing the boycott. In: Baby Milk Action. Retrieved November 7, 2009 .
  36. ^ An example of one such ban Council of the Oxford University Student Union, June 9, 2006
  37. ^ The "International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes". (No longer available online.) In: Nestlé. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007 ; Retrieved June 6, 2007 .
  38. ^ Foreword by Peter Brabeck. Nestlé, archived from the original on April 9, 2007 ; Retrieved June 11, 2007 .
  39. ^ Letter from NGOs to Nestlé. Retrieved September 5, 2014 .
  40. ^ The "LAOS: NGOs flay Nestlé's infant formula strategy. Retrieved March 28, 2020 .
  41. ↑ Bureau Veritas report. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016 ; accessed on March 28, 2020 .
  42. ↑ Home - Mark Thomas Info. Retrieved December 21, 2016 .
  43. ↑ Kirsty Scott: Spoof horror writer wins £ 5,000 Perrier award: Fringe comedy contest soured by baby milk protests. In: The Guardian . August 27, 2001, accessed June 11, 2007 .
  44. ^ The Tap Water Awards. Retrieved June 11, 2007 .
  45. ^ Writers boycott literary festival. In: BBC News. May 27, 2002, accessed June 7, 2007 .
  46. ^ Petition calls on Canadians to boycott Nestlé over water grab. In: USA TODAY. Retrieved December 29, 2016 .
  47. ^ Wynne wants new rules for bottled water industry after Nestle outbids town. In: The Toronto Star. Retrieved December 29, 2016 .
  48. ↑ 'Everyone should care' about bottled water, teen says at rally against Nestlé permit. In: CBC News. Retrieved December 29, 2016 .
  49. ^ People are furious at Nestlé for taking over small town's water supply. In: Business Insider Germany. Retrieved December 29, 2016 .