Campaign
Against Nestlˇ: The Boycott
(entire
text below quoted from Baby Milk Action pamphlet)
http://www.babymilkaction.org/
"Why
boycott Nescafˇ?
"One
and a half million babies die every year because they are not breastfed, says
the United Nations ChildrenÕs Fund (UNICEF). Millions more become seriously
ill. Breastfeeding provides the best start in life for all babies, but in a
poor society it is a lifeline.
"Baby
milk companies promote their milks to mothers and health workers because they
realize that if they donÕt get babies on the bottle, they donÕt do business.
"Nestlˇ,
the worldÕs largest food company, sells nearly half the worldÕs baby food. It
sets marketing trends which are followed by the other companies.
"The
World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have an International Code of
Marketing which bans all forms of promotion of baby milk.
"Nestlˇ
violates this code more often than any of its competitors.
"ThatÕs
why we ask people like you to stop buying Nescafˇ, the companyÕs best-selling
product.
"One
of NestlˇÕs most successful marketing tactics is giving free supplies of milk
to hospitals:
"Giving bottles to
newborns makes breastfeeding failure more likely. The baby is then dependent on
artificial baby milk.
"Once home, the mother
has to buy the milk for herself. In many societies, it can cost more than half
the entire family income. Poor mothers may over-dilute the powder to make it
last longer. This leads to malnutrition.
"In poor conditions, the water mixed with the
milk is often unsafe, leading to diarrhea, dehydration and often death.
"What
does Nestlˇ say?
"The
first international Nestlˇ boycott was suspended in 1984 when the company
promised to follow the International Code.
"Nestlˇ
soon reneged on its promise, so the boycott was relaunched in 1988.
"Since
1991, UNICEF and WHO have gradually persuaded many governments to ban free
supplies to baby milk to hospitals. Nestlˇ still refuses to admit that free
supplies are harmful, ending the practice only when forced to by official
action
"The
company replies to boycotters with a pamphlet and a covering letter. In this
[Baby Milk Action] leaflet, we give some answers to its claims.
"How
Nestlˇ breaks the International Code
"Nestlˇ
stopped some of its more blatant practices in response to the first boycott.
But it now concentrates on cleverer and more cost-effective practices.
Monitoring in 62 countries in 1993 and 1994 found hundreds of Code violations
by Nestlˇ. These include:
"free supplies of baby
milk to hospitals in at least 27 countries, 22 of which have official bans
against the practice. These include China, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh;
"labels not in a
language understood by the mother in 8 countries, including Malawi, India and
Uganda;
"free samples of baby
milk given to mothers in hospitals in 17 countries, including Gabon, Mexico and
the Philippines;
"promoting to mothers
in hospitals in more than a dozen countries, including Pakistan, South Africa
and Brazil;
"gifts or payments to
health workers, ranging from a cruise trip disguised as a conference for
Brazilian doctors to free meals, Christmas hampers and watches. Hospitals in
several countries receive gifts if they place large orders for breastmilk
substitutes;
"promoting Ōfollow-on
milksÕ for 4-month-old babies in many countries, even though they are not
suitable for babies under 6 months old. Nestlˇ confuses mothers and health
workers by naming and packaging its follow-on milks in the same way as its
standard baby milks.
"NestlˇÕs
priorities: profits before health
"Nestlˇ
claims to be Ōcommitted to breastfeedingÕ but its overriding priority is to
make profits for its shareholders. Nestlˇ is in the business of undermining
breastfeeding in order to sell more baby milk.
"Can
all mothers breastfeed?
"It
is rare for a woman to be physically unable to breastfeed. And for the tiny
number of babies who have to be fed on a substitute, donated breastmilk or wet
nursing provide a better start in life than baby milks.
"Even
malnourished mothers can breastfeed and it is safer, cheaper and more sensible
to feed the mother than to give milk for her baby.
"Nestlˇ
implies that premature babies cannot be breastfed. But research shows that premature
babies who do not receive breastmilk are up to 20 times more likely to contract
a potentially fatal condition. Twins can also be breastfed because the more a
baby suckles, the more milk is produced.
"Even
the fact that many mothers work outside the home does not excuse NestlˇÕs
practices. Worldwide, there is little difference in breastfeeding rates whether
women work inside or outside the home. And even if mothers use artificial milk
later on, the early protection provided by breastfeeding is still important.
"What
if mothers donÕt want to breastfeed?
"The
campaign against Nestlˇ aims to protect all mothers and babies. A mother should
have the right to an informed choice. If she decides to use baby milk, her
decision should be based on advice from a health worker, not on the strength of
a companyÕs marketing campaign. Health workers also need protection from
misinformation if they are to give sound advice.
"For
further information on Baby Milk Action, contact:
"Baby
Milk Action, 23 St. AndrewÕs Street, Cambridge CB2 3BR; or Baby Milk Action
Ireland, c/o 10 Upper Camden Street, Dublin 2."
http://www.babymilkaction.org/
Jock
Doubleday
Director
Natural Woman, Natural Man, Inc.
http://www.GentleBirth.org/nwnm.org
http://www.SpontaneousCreation.org
director@spontaneouscreation.org