This seems a good point to start a new post.
Many Nestle-bloggers seem to be continuing to believe that by taking their questions straight to the company, they will get honest replies, and will clear up all these decades of silly misunderstanding in a jiffy. Under great pressure, Nestle corporate representatives have finally joined in on twitter, as @nestlefamily, to try to defend the brand, and the bloggers that they roped in, uninformed and untrained, to be their PR agents.
Here was one of the first questions asked of Nestlé at their @nestlefamily account, by @momslant:
@nestlefamily’s reply:
Whew! Well, that changes everything! None of these countries have experienced any kind of Nestlé formula marketing at all! None of them!
Let’s pick just one to test the assertion. Let’s pick, say, the Philippines, where the Formula For Disaster film was filmed. The Philippines, where Nestlé called for the heads of UNICEF and WHO Philippines to be recalled for speaking out in favour of breastfeeding at a time when stronger formula marketing regulations were being considered by the Supreme Court. The Philippines, where Nestlé employs nurses as ‘Health Educators’ and sends them into the community to promote Nestogen infant formula to new mothers (more). The Philippines, where Nestlé’s direct marketing to mothers received a business award. The Philippines, where Nestle provides free Nestle-branded gifts to healthcare workers. The Philippines, where the government has been fighting a long, drawn-out battle with formula companies who want unrestricted marketing (to the point where a government lawyer was assassinated), and where Nestle have been involved in opposing key provisions of formula marketing restrictions (more here).
Next? Shall we move on to, say, the Ukraine? Bangladesh?
Posted in ethics & philosophy, social justice Tagged: activism/charity, bottle feeding, breastfeeding, breastmilk substitutes, exploitation, formula, infant formula, marketing, nestle
