<ul><li><a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#13d7179b84d7e6c6_1">New Internationalist blog: More action needed on baby food marketing - PLEASE SHARE</a> </li></ul>
<ul><li><a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#13d7179b84d7e6c6_2">GAIN / Gates sponsored Index whitewashes giant food companies</a></li></ul>
<h2><a name="13d7179b84d7e6c6_1"></a>New Internationalist blog: More action needed on baby food marketing </h2>
<p>Baby Milk Action was invited to write a blog for <a href="http://newint.org/blog/2013/03/06/baby-milk-action/" target="_blank">New Internationalist magazine's website</a>. This has now been posted.</p>
<p>Mike Brady, Campaigns and Networking
Coordinator, gives a brief introduction to how he joined Baby Milk
Action and some of the successes achieved by members and supporters over
the years.</p>
<p>The subject is brought bang up to date with
a new report just published by Save the Children. The report contains
on-the-ground research; it is essential to look at what companies
actually do, rather than just at what they say they do.</p>
<p>For example, Nestlé claims to abide by
World Health Assembly baby milk marketing requirements, but Save the
Children found in Pakistan, for example, that 20 per cent of health
professionals surveyed reported gifts from baby-food companies – over
half were Nestlé branded. </p>
<p>Read the blog to find out more. If you use Twitter and Facebook there are quick links to share it, so please do pass it on. See:</p>
<p><a href="http://newint.org/blog/2013/03/06/baby-milk-action/" target="_blank">http://newint.org/blog/2013/03/06/baby-milk-action/</a></p>
<h2><a name="13d7179b84d7e6c6_2"></a>GAIN / Gates sponsored Index whitewashes giant food companies</h2>
<p>The Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) has just been launched. </p>
<p>This is sponsored by the Global Alliance
for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Gates Foundation and has already
been slammed by critics as a whitewash. </p>
<p>Companies are scored on their Corporate
Social Responsibility reports and other information they produce, rather
than by on-the-ground monitoring of their practices.</p>
<p>It is not surprising, therefore, to find
the companies that invest in PR come out with the highest scores:
Danone, Unilever, Nestle, PepsiCo, and Kraft.</p>
<p>In a nod to the concerns about the approach
used - and the fact that others are monitoring what companies actually
do - the Index launch statements says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p> <em>"even the top performers have significant room for improvement with the highest score being 6.3 on a 10.0 point scale. </em></p>
<p><em>"In addition, both Danone and Nestlé
have been reported to be in violation of the International Code of
Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which affected their scores. </em></p>
<p><em>"The ATNI recommends that both
companies, along with other breastmilk substitute manufacturers, take
immediate action to ensure full compliance with the International Code."</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Find out more from our press release:<br>
<a href="http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease12mar13" target="_blank">http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/<br>
pressrelease12mar13</a></p>
<p>Also see Baby Milk Action's article <em>Governments should govern, and corporations should follow the rules, </em>published in the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition journal and available via:<br>
<a href="http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/campaignblog160112" target="_blank">http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/<br>
campaignblog160112</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>