PHM-Exch> REGARDING MEXICO's CRUSADE AGAINST HUNGER

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Patti Rundall <prundall at babymilkaction.org>


*MEXICO's CRUSADE AGAINST HUNGER
*

In Mexico, El Poder del Consumidor organised a series of excellent meetings
with Senators, Parliamentarians  and the media to raise awareness about
Conflicts of Interest.

IBFAN colleagues were about to congratulate Rosario Robles, Secretary for
Development,  on including breastfeeding protection in the
newly formed Crusade Against Hunger, when we found out about partnership
deals  with Nestlé and Pepsi. These were announced and signed  before
any consultation with  NGOs or scientists.  We later found out more
details:

>
>>>>    - *Nestlé  *would run a programme called Mi Dulce Negocio
>>>>    Nestle (My Sweet Business) creating a network of 15,000 women to give
>>>>     nutrition 'education' in the poorest areas of Mexico while selling deserts
>>>>    and other Nestle products.
>>>>    - *Pepsi *would provide/sell  fortified milks for pregnant and
>>>>    lactating mothers (products that we know undermine women's confidence, and
>>>>    have been used by other companies such as Fonterra to pave the way for the
>>>>    introduction of formulas for babies. )
>>>>    - *Disney *would  do "education' with the Red Cross,
>>>>    - *Walmart, 7Eleven *and others - would be involved in other
>>>>    projects.   (In the Press release you will see that Alvaro Urreta
>>>>    Fernandez, President of the Union of Producers and small merchants, Mexico
>>>>    City,  said: *“The uncontrolled growth of these multinational
>>>>    corporation has a negative economic and social impact, harming small
>>>>    producers of fruits and vegetables, encouraging an increase in
>>>>    the consumption of junk foods. We have seen that the consumption of fresh
>>>>    fruits and vegetables is dramatically decreasing due to the presence of
>>>>    these companies. We urgently need international support to denounce this
>>>>    situation.  Instead of  allowing multinationals to be partners in this
>>>>    Crusade against Hunger,  we need the Mexican Government to support
>>>>    small producers and peasants.” *
>>>>
>>>> These  partnerships,  in our view, are likely to have a disastrous
>>>>  impact -  for many reasons including:
>>>>
>>>>    - *Breastfeeding and child survival* (breastfeeding rates are
>>>>    already  really low in Mexico),
>>>>    - *Obesity levels* Mexico already has one of the world's levels of obesity
>>>>    and NCDs.
>>>>    - *Mexico's traditional eating patterns and ecosystem.* UNESCO has
>>>>    declared Mexico  as having an *Intangible Cultural Heritage of
>>>>    Humanity**,* with one of the richest varieties of traditional foods
>>>>    and cultures.  ( Nestle already own  application to own the patent
>>>>    for the method of extracting a component of the Fennel Flower and already
>>>>    has many patents on breastmilk components. Click Here<http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nestle-stop-patenting-human-milk-components/>
>>>>    .)
>>>>
>>>>

It seems obvious why corporations would want to own as much of Mexico  as
possible, and why the  Crusade gives them  the perfect philanthropic
cover -  tackling hunger.  There is international concern about this.

We got a lot of excellent coverage so far (a lot in Spanish but  a rather
good piece in the British Medical Journal  and a piece in the Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy  in English.

http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease09apr130
http://info.babymilkaction.org/MexicoMedia
http://info.babymilkaction.org/LLLPetitionRobles
http://info.babymilkaction.org/Fennelwater
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