Boycott Nestle

I used to think the Nestle boycott was a bit much.
So they make infant formula~what’s the big deal?
So they advertise their infant formula~doesn’t every company advertise the products they make? 
And really, what difference is a boycott going to make?

I have changed my mind.

I read a book last year called The Politics of Breastfeeding, which outlines the history of breastfeeding practices and infant formulas.  The history of infant formula marketing is pretty dismal, and unethical practices continue today, particularly in the developing world.  Babymilkaction.org states this about Nestle:

Nestlé is singled out for boycott action as monitoring shows it to be responsible for more violations of the requirements than any other company. The boycott helps to stop some of the specific cases of malpractice we expose and has forced some changes in policy. But Nestlé continues systematic violations in those countries which have not yet brought in independently monitored and enforced legislation implementing the marketing requirements, which is another part of our strategy for protecting infant health and mothers’ rights.

If marketing in developing nations includes statements about the nutritional superiority of infant formula, and excludes statements about the nutritional appropriateness of human milk, vulnerable populations formula feed their infants in greater numbers.  In developed nations such as our own, marketing which includes statements about additives such as DHA supporting eye and brain development are often unsupported by research.  These statements, along with images that idealize and normalize bottle feeding, subtly undermine our society’s confidence in womens’ ability to breastfeed successfully. 

Baby Milk Action and other supporters of the Boycott Nestle movement support the World Health Organization’s International Code for Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes.  It is not unethical to use infant formula, nor even to market it.  What is unethical is to do so in such a way that undermines the optimal infant feeding method: breastfeeding. 

The more I learned and the more I read on the topic of marketing infant formula, the more I thought that perhaps the Boycott Nestle campaign was a good idea.  I took a course at my local college on breastfeeding (The Breastfeeding Course for Health Care Providers: previously the Breastfeeding Counsellor’s Course) and learned about the WHO Code and ethical marketing violations and felt even more strongly that the campaign had merit.  But it was the book, The Politics of Breastfeeding, that underlined the issue for me in neon highlighter, and finally motivated me to change the way I shop for good.  (I am not being paid to endorse this book!)  I changed the way I shop because, rather than believe strongly that my boycotting Nestle products would make Nestle sit up and take notice, I felt uncomfortable with my money going towards a company whose marketing actions are so unethical. 

Want to join us?  Leave a comment to let us know!  Here in the comments section, or on our Facebook Page.  Interested in taking action but feel overwhelmed?  There are a lot of Nestle products out there.  Try increasing your awareness of the issue, and which products are manufactured by Nestle.  Boycott Nestle next year when purchasing Halloween candy.  Or join Boycott Nestle Week October 31st to November 6th each year (sorry, I am posting a bit late for participation this year!).

Also visit our No Infant Formula Ads on Facebook page, or our No Infant Formula Ads on Google page.

 Small steps forward will mean better marketing practices, and healthier infant feeding all around.