PHM-Exch> Media: Nestle at the World Economic Forum

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Patti Rundall <prundall at babymilkaction.org>


*
*

>From the blog of Baby Milk Action's Campaigns and Networking Coordinator,
Mike Brady:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/campaignblog260111

See online version for links and images.

Mr. Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé SA, and his predecessor and current Nestlé
Chairman, Peter Brabeck-Letmathé, are seeking to set the agenda at the World
Economic Forum in Davos, Swizerland this week. Nestlé is 'widely
boycotted<http://www.babymilkaction.org/press/press6july07.html>'
in the words of its Global Public Affairs Manager, due to its aggressive
marketing of baby foods in breach of international standards. Given the
documentary evidence of systematic violations of the marketing requirements
and the strategies employed by Mr. Bulcke and Mr Brabeck as they put their
own profits before the lives and well-being of babies and their families,
Baby Milk Action says it is ironic that Mr. Bulcke, co-chair of the meeting,
believes he has any credibility in calling for *"new global principles to
fuel development"*. Mr. Bulcke, who was appointed
CEO<http://info.babymilkaction.org/update/update43page18> after
achieving high growth in the baby food sector in Latin America, states
in a press
release on the Nestlé
site<http://www.nestle.com/Media/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/Nestle-CEO-calls-for-new-global-principles-to-fuel-development.aspx?WT.mc_id=davosbulcke_alert_nf_26012011>
: *"When run in a principled way, with strong values and a long-term
perspective, business can be an engine for development and prosperity."*
**
Mr. Brabeck has for decades advocated that corporations be trusted to follow
voluntary principles and be given greater power in policy setting than civil
society organisations as the *"engineers of wealth".* At the last Nestlé
shareholder AGM in April 2010 Mr. Brabeck warned against tying corporations
up in a* “regulatory straightjacket”, *saying this was unnecessary as people
should trust Nestlé's values.  Mr. Brabeck's stance is inconsistent,
however, because while opposing strong regulations protecting babies and
their families in line with international marketing standards in favour of
voluntary measures, he has argued that protection of company brands should
be *"entrenched in the law and strictly enforced by the authorities".* Mr.
Brabeck also argues publicly that corporations should be trusted as global
citizens, but told business leaders in Boston in 2005, that corporations
should not feel obligated to 'give back' to the community and should only
support good causes if it will benefit shareholders.

Mike Brady, Campaigns and Networking Coordinator at Baby Milk Action, said,
*"Mr. Bulcke and Mr. Brabeck have demonstrated the only principle they seem
to understand is money - that is why we call on people around the world to
join the boycott until they agree to stop pushing baby foods in ways that
undermine breastfeeding and endanger babies fed on formula. The boycott has
forced some changes, but they still have a long way to go. Mr. Bulcke is
trying to present himself as a principled business leader on the global
stage as part of his strategy to divert attention from what Nestlé's does in
reality." *

Both Mr. Bulcke and Mr. Brabeck have rejected Baby Milk Action's four-point
plan <http://info.babymilkaction.org/nestle4pointplan> for saving infant
lives and ultimately ending the boycott.

Mr. Bulcke's comments come as thousands of people have emailed the company
over its lasting baby milk marketing strategy, calling on it to stop
violating international marketing standards. In other areas of concern, the
India media has this week exposed a secret deal between Nestlé and
universities to target young girls with information on nutrition - a request
for information on the deal under India's Right to Information law was
blocked by Nestlé (see Times of
India<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/MNC-in-secret-pact-with-universities-for-food-education/articleshow/7350233.cms>).
While attempting to set the global agenda, Nestlé is also the subject of
complaints for violations of the UN Global Compact Principles registered
Baby Milk Action and other Nestlé Critics <http://www.nestlecritics.org/>.
The UN Global Compact Office has refused to investigate the
complaints<http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/policyblog210510>,
but continues to accept funding from Nestlé for its events and posts
Nestlé's criticised reports on its website.

Mike Brady, Campaigns and Networking Coordinator at Baby Milk Action, said:
**
*"Nestlé current global baby milk marketing strategy involves promoting its
formula with the claim it 'protects' babies, when in reality babies fed on
formula are more likely to become sick than breastfed babies and, in
conditions of poverty, more likely to die. I have written directly to Mr.
Bulcke on this matter and he refuses to stop what is a clear violation of
international marketing standards."*

In its latest communication on the 'protect' logos added to formula labels
in 120 countries, Nestlé has
admitted<http://info.babymilkaction.org/update/update43page14> that
there is 'no proven benefit' from adding to formula ingredients such as DHA
and ARA highlighted in the logos, but is still refusing to remove the logos.
After receiving thousands of emails in Baby Milk Action's Email Nestlé
campaign, Nestlé has said it has discontinued a leaflet promoting its
formula as *'The new "Gold Standard" in infant nutrition'*, but not other
leaflets claiming, for example, that its formula reduces the incidence of
diarrhoea. Babies fed on formula rather than breastfed are more likely to
suffer from diarrhoea. According to
WHO<http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/9241594292/en/index.html>
, *"infants who are not breastfed in the first month of life may be as much
as 25 times more likely to die than infants who are exclusively breastfed."*

According to UNICEF<http://www.babymilkaction.org/resources/yqsanswered/yqacode.html#13aug01>
: *"Marketing practices that undermine breastfeeding are potentially
hazardous wherever they are pursued: in the developing world, WHO estimates
that some 1.5 million children die each year because they are not adequately
breastfed. These facts are not in dispute." *

Nestlé is also refusing to warn on labels that powdered infant formula is
not sterile and the simple steps required to reduce the risks of possible
contamination with harmful bacteria. Nestlé has had to recall formula in the
past after contamination with *Enterobacter Sakazakii*, such contamination
has led to deaths in Europe (see WHO
publication<http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/pif2007/en/index.html>
on
this known problem).

Nestlé is not only criticised for violating the International Code of
Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant Resolutions.
Campaigners monitoring other aspects of its business criticise the company
for:

* trade union busting and failing to act on related court decisions;

* failure to act on child labour and slavery in its cocoa supply chain;

* exploitation of farmers, particularly in the dairy and coffee sectors;

* environmental degradation, particularly of water resources;

Click here<http://www.babymilkaction.org/shop/publications01.html#globalcompact>
for
the report: Nestlé's UN Global Compact cover up - How Nestlé's Shared Value
reports cover up malpractice and bring the UN voluntary initiative for
corporate responsibility into disrepute

Best wishes,

Mike Brady
Campaigns and Networking Coordinator
Baby Milk Action

http://www.babymilkaction.org/
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