1977 Nestlé boycott explained

A boycott was launched in the United States on July 4, 1977, against the Swiss-based multinational food and drink processing corporation Nestlé. The boycott expanded into Europe in the early 1980s and was prompted by concerns about Nestlé's aggressive marketing of infant formulas (i.e., substitutes for breast milk), particularly in underdeveloped countries.^{[1] [2]} The boycott has been cancelled and renewed because of the business practices of Nestlé and other substitute manufacturers monitored by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN).^{[3] [4]} Organizers of the boycott as well as public health researchers and experts consider breast milk to be the best nutrition source for infants.^{[5] [6] [7]} The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends infants to be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives,^[8] nevertheless, sometimes nutritional gaps need to be filled if breastfeeding is not possible.^[9]

The Nestlé boycott can be seen as special in a sense that it linked human rights regulations and humanitarian activism with corporate responsibility and market capitalism. Consumers were basically acting as global citizens by aiding people in need outside their close communities – mothers in developing countries –, “using the marketplace not as a way of generating revenue, but rather as a space for protest”.^[10]

Baby milk controversy

Groups such as the International Baby Food Action Network and Save the Children argue that the promotion of infant formula over breastfeeding has led to health problems and deaths among infants in less economically developed countries.^{[11] [12]} There are three problems that can arise when poor mothers in developing countries switch to formula as well as one list of benefits of breast milk:

• Sanitation:
  • Formula must be mixed with water, which is often impure or not potable in poor countries, leading to disease in vulnerable infants.^[13] Because of the low literacy rates in developing nations, many mothers are not aware of the sanitation methods needed in the preparation of bottles. Even mothers able to read in their native language may be unable to read the language in which sterilization directions are written.
  • Although some mothers can understand the sanitation standards required, they often do not have the means to perform them: fuel to boil water, electric (or other reliable) light to enable sterilisation at night. UNICEF estimates that a formula-fed child living in disease-ridden and unhygienic conditions is between 6 and 25 times more likely to die of diarrhea and four times more likely to die of pneumonia than a breastfed child.^[14]
• Nutritional value:
  • Many poor mothers use less formula for the baby than is required, in order to make a container of formula last longer. As a result, some infants receive inadequate nutrition from weak solutions of formula.^[15]
  • Breast milk has many natural benefits lacking in formula. Nutrients and antibodies are passed to the baby while hormones are released into the mother's body.^[16] Breastfed babies are protected, in varying degrees, from a number of illnesses, including diarrhea, bacterial meningitis, gastroenteritis, ear infection, and respiratory infection.^{[17] [18] [19]} Breast milk contains the right amount of the nutrients essential for neuronal (brain and nerve) development.^[20] The bond between baby and mother can be strengthened during breastfeeding. Frequent and exclusive breastfeeding can also delay the return of fertility, which can help women in developing countries to space their births.^[21] The World Health Organization recommends that, in the majority of cases, babies should be exclusively breast fed for the first six months, and then given complementary foods in addition to breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.^[22]
• Preserving milk supply:
  • The practice of relying on free formula in maternity wards frequently means the mother loses the ability to make her own milk and must buy formula (as stated in the following paragraph).

Advocacy groups and charities have accused Nestlé of unethical methods of promoting infant formula over breast milk to poor mothers in developing countries.^{[23] [24]} For example, IBFAN claims that Nestlé distributes free formula samples to hospitals and maternity wards; after leaving the hospital, the formula is no longer free, but because the supplementation has interfered with lactation, the family must continue to buy the formula. IBFAN also alleges that Nestlé uses "humanitarian aid" to create markets, does not label its products in a language appropriate to the countries where they are sold, and offers gifts and sponsorship to influence health workers to promote its products.^[25] The company not only made use of mass media promotion (e.g. billboards and posters) and sample distributions, they also had sales people dressed as so-called “milk nurses” to visit mothers in hospital and at their home to praise formula and its benefits.^{[26] [27]} Nestlé justified its actions by rejecting the responsibility for e.g. the lack of clean water in many developing countries and further argued with freedom of consumer choice, which in the company’s opinion allows for formula products to be sold in developing markets.^[28]

History

1970s

Nestlé's marketing strategy was first written about in New Internationalist magazine in 1973 and in a booklet called The Baby Killer, published by the British NGO War On Want in 1974. The report helped raise concern over marketing practices in developing countries and served as the starting point of the so-called Baby Killer campaign. Nestlé started a legal suit in Switzerland when the booklet was published in German language entitled "Nestlé kills Babies”. After a two-year trial, the court found in favour of Nestlé because they could not be held responsible for the infant deaths 'in terms of criminal law'.^[29] Because the defendants were only fined 300 Swiss Francs (just over US$400, adjusted for inflation),^[30] and Judge Jürg Sollberger commented that Nestlé "must modify its publicity methods fundamentally", TIME magazine declared this a "moral victory" for the defendants.^[31] This led to similar court challenges brought against other milk companies in the U.S. spearheaded by the Roman Catholic order Sisters of the Precious Blood in conjunction with the Interfaith Centre for Corporate Responsibility.^[32]

The widespread publicity led to the launch of the boycott in Minneapolis, USA, by the Infant Formula Action Coalition (INFACT)^[33] and this boycott soon spread to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Europe as more and more people were concerned by Nestlé’s marketing practices to promote baby formula instead of breast milk, especially in the developing world. In May 1978, the US Senate held a public hearing into the promotion of breast milk substitutes in developing countries and joined calls for a Marketing Code. In 1979, WHO and UNICEF hosted an international meeting that called for the development of an international code of marketing, as well as action on other fronts to improve infant and early child feeding practices. The International Baby Food Action Network was formed by six of the campaigning groups at this meeting.^[24]

1980s and 1990s

In 1981, the 34th World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body for WHO, adopted Resolution WHA34.22 which includes the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. The Code covers infant formula and other milk products, foods and beverages, when marketed or otherwise represented to be suitable as a partial or total replacement of breast milk. It bans the promotion of breast milk substitutes and gives health workers the responsibility for advising parents. It limits manufacturing companies to the provision of scientific and factual information to health workers and sets forth labeling requirements.^[34] The US voted against the adoption.^[35]

In 1984, boycott coordinators met with Nestlé, which agreed to create an independent agency, the Nestlé Infant Formula Audit Commission (IFAC), and to sign an agreement where they pledged to fully implement the Code. The boycott was then officially suspended.^[36] In 1988, a second phase of the boycott started as IBFAN alleged that formula companies were flooding health facilities in the developing world with free and low-cost supplies, and the boycott was relaunched the following year.^[13]

In May 1999, a ruling against Nestlé was issued by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Nestlé claimed in an anti-boycott advertisement that it markets infant formula "ethically and responsibly". The ASA found that Nestlé could not support this nor other claims in the face of evidence provided by the campaigning group Baby Milk Action.^[37]

2000s onwards

In November 2000, the European Parliament invited IBFAN, UNICEF, and Nestlé to present evidence to a public hearing before the Development and Cooperation Committee. Evidence was presented by the IBFAN group from Pakistan and UNICEF's legal officer commented on Nestlé's failure to bring its policies into line with the World Health Assembly Resolutions. Nestlé declined an invitation to attend, claiming scheduling conflicts, although it sent a representative of the auditing company it had commissioned to produce a report on its Pakistan operation.^{[38] [39] [40]}

Throughout the years, Nestlé has claimed that it is in full compliance with the International Code.^[41] In 2001, for example, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, at the time CEO of Nestlé, stated: "we also carry out annual audits on WHO Code compliance with a sample of Nestlé companies, and we investigate any substantiated claims made by those who believe we have broken the Code.... If we find that the Code has been deliberately violated, we take disciplinary action."^[42] The company maintained that many of the allegations are unsubstantiated, out of date, or use IBFAN's own non-standard interpretation of the Code.^[43]

In May 2011, the debate over Nestlé's unethical marketing of infant formula was relaunched in the Asia-Pacific region. Nineteen leading Laos-based international NGOs, including Save the Children, Oxfam, CARE International, Plan International and World Vision have launched a boycott of Nestlé and written an open letter to the company.^[44] Among other unethical practices, the NGOs criticised the lack of labelling in Laos and the provision of incentives to doctors and nurses to promote the use of infant formula.^[45] An independent audit of Nestlé's marketing practices in Laos was commissioned by Nestlé and carried out by Bureau Veritas in late 2011. The audit found that "the requirements of the WHO Code and Lao PDR Decree are well embedded throughout the business", but that "promotional materials in 4% of the retail outlets visited" violated either the Lao PDR Decree or the WHO Code.^[46]

In a 2018 study, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) estimated that 10,870,000 infants had died between 1960 and 2015 as a result of Nestlé baby formula used by "mothers [in [[Developing country|low and middle-income countries]]] without clean water sources", with deaths peaking at 212,000 in 1981.^[47]

In 2024, a report by Swiss nonprofit Public Eye and IBFAN stated that Nestlé adds more sugar to baby food sold in lower- and middle-income countries compared to healthier versions sold in affluent markets.^[48]

Current status

The boycott is on-going, which Nestlé also officially states on their website along with stating that it "follow[s] the WHO Code as implemented by national governments everywhere in the world".^[49] The company states that it updates its marketing policy, that it reports on compliance on an annual basis, and that it set up a whistleblower scheme.^[50] Nestlé states that it is "committed not to interfere with mothers' desire to breastfeed and to protect them from inappropriate marketing practices by actively supporting breastfeeding".^[51] Critics state that Nestlé continues to be accused of malpractice.^{[52] [53]}

Data from 2020 indicates that 136 WHO member states had established some legal measures related to the Code from 1981, however, only few fully reflect the Code.^[54] The report indicates a gap in many countries' legislation. IBFAN continues to be an international network, encompassing more than 270 groups in over 160 countries who push for implementations of the marketing of breast-milk substitutes Code and relevant resolutions. The overall goal remains: marketing baby food should not have negative impacts on infants' health.^[55]

In the media

An episode of the TV show The Mark Thomas Comedy Product produced by the British Channel Four in 1999 investigated the boycott and Nestlé's practices concerning baby milk. Mark Thomas attempted to find evidence for claims against Nestlé and to speak to heads of the company. In one portion of the show he "received a tin of baby milk from Mozambique. All instructions are in English. 33 languages and dialects are recognised in Mozambique. Portuguese is the official language. However, only about 30% of the population can speak it.^[56]

In 2001, comedian Robert Newman and actress Emma Thompson called for a boycott of the Perrier Comedy Award, because Perrier is owned by Nestlé.^[57] An alternative competition called the Tap Water Awards was set up the following year.^[58]

In 2002, authors Germaine Greer and Jim Crace withdrew from the Hay Festival in protest over Nestlé's sponsorship of the event.^[59]

A 2007 article in The Guardian highlighted aggressive marketing practices by Nestlé in Bangladesh.^[13]

The 2014 film Tigers is based on 1997 Pakistan Nestle infant formula controversy.

See also

• H2NO – an upselling campaign by Coca-Cola to dissuade consumers from ordering tap water drinks at restaurants
• Controversies of Nestlé

External links

• International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN)
• Baby Milk Action
• Nestlé marketing profile, from Breaking the Rules Stretching the Rules, IBFAN, 2004
• Edinburgh University Néstle Boycott Campaign
• Nestlé's response to the baby milk issue

Notes and References

1. News: Baby formulas linked to infant deaths overseas. September 9, 1978. Minneapolis Star. December 5, 2019 . subscription.
2. News: Every Parent Should Know The Scandalous History Of Infant Formula. Krasny. Jill. June 25, 2012. Business Insider. December 5, 2019.
3. News: Simple formula urged for healthy children. Macdonald. Theresa. October 24, 1987. Regina Leader-Post. December 5, 2019. subscription.
4. News: Nestle Boycott Being Suspended. January 27, 1984. New York Times. December 5, 2019. subscription.
5. Lessen. Rachelle. Kavanagh. Katherine. 2015. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. en. 115. 3. 444–449. 10.1016/j.jand.2014.12.014. 25721389 .
6. Piwoz. Ellen G.. Huffman. Sandra L.. 2015. The Impact of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes on WHO-Recommended Breastfeeding Practices. Food and Nutrition Bulletin. en. 36. 4. 373–386. 10.1177/0379572115602174. 26314734 . 43304804 . 0379-5721. free.
7. Martin . Camilia R. . Ling . Pei-Ra . Blackburn . George L. . 2016 . Review of Infant Feeding: Key Features of Breast Milk and Infant Formula . Nutrients . en . 8 . 5 . 279 . 10.3390/nu8050279 . 2072-6643 . 4882692 . 27187450. free .
8. World Health Organization. (2002). Infant and young child nutrition, Global strategy on infant and young child feeding, Report by the Secretariat. https://apps.who.int/gb/archive/pdf_files/WHA55/ea5515.pdf
9. Book: Martucci, Jessica . Back to the breast: natural motherhood and breastfeeding in America . The University of Chicago Press . 2015 . 9780226288031.
10. Sasson . Tehila . 2016 . Milking the Third World? Humanitarianism, Capitalism, and the Moral Economy of the Nestlé Boycott . The American Historical Review . 121 . 4 . 1196–1224. 10.1093/ahr/121.4.1196 .
11. Web site: What is the Problem? . IBFAN . June 6, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070426200414/http://www.ibfan.org/site2005/Pages/article.php?art_id=23&iui=1 . April 26, 2007 . dead .
12. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/resources/online-library/a-generation-on-baby-milk-marketing-still-putting-childrens-lives-at-risk A Generation On: Baby milk marketing still putting children’s lives at risk
13. https://www.theguardian.com/medicine/story/0,,2079757,00.html Milking it
14. Web site: Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care. UNICEF . June 8, 2007 .
15. Web site: World Concern - Witness the Transformation. https://web.archive.org/web/20070928034941/http://www.worldconcern.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=1556&srcid=596. dead. September 28, 2007. December 21, 2016.
16. Web site: Breastfeeding . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . January 23, 2007.
17. Gartner LM . Breastfeeding and the use of human milk . Pediatrics . 2005 . 496–506 . 115 . 2 . 10.1542/peds.2004-2491 . 15687461 . vanc . 1 . Morton . J . Lawrence . RA . Naylor . AJ . O'Hare . D . Schanler . RJ . Eidelman . AI . American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding.
18. Web site: Mothers and Children Benefit from Breastfeeding . 4woman.gov . https://web.archive.org/web/20090316071541/http://www.4woman.gov/breastfeeding/index.cfm?page=227 . March 16, 2009 . 27 February 2009 .
19. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch122/ch122a.html "Gastroenteritis"
20. Book: Atkinson, S . Bo Lönnerdal . Proteins and non-protein nitrogens in human milk . CRC Press . 1989 . 131 . 0-8493-6795-6 .
21. Web site: Comparison of Effectiveness . Planned Parenthood . April 2005 . August 12, 2006 ., which cites Book: Hatcher, RA . 2000 . Contraceptive Technology . 18th . Ardent Media . New York . 0-9664902-6-6 . vanc. Trussel J . Stewart F . 2 .
22. https://web.archive.org/web/20080414131326/http://www.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB109/eeb10912.pdf World Health Organization
23. Web site: Nestle Products to Boycott. December 21, 2016.
24. http://www.BabyMilkAction.org/pages/history.html History of the campaign
25. Web site: How breastfeeding is undermined . IBFAN . June 6, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070415171525/http://www.ibfan.org/english/issue/bfUndermined01.html . April 15, 2007 . dead .
26. Book: Muller, Mike . The Baby Killer. A War on Want investigation into the promotion and sale of powdered baby milks in the Third World. . War on Want. . 1974 . London.
27. Post . James E. . 1985 . Assessing the Nestlé Boycott: Corporate Accountability and Human Rights . California Management Review . en . 27 . 2 . 113–131 . 10.2307/41165133 . 41165133 . 155057976 . 0008-1256.
28. Zelman . Nancy . 1990-01-01 . The Nestle Infant Formula Controversy: Restricting the Marketing Practices of Multinational Corporations in the Third World . Global Business & Development Law Journal . 3 . 2 . 697 . 1936-3931.
29. Sethi, S. Prakash . Multinational Corporations and the Impact of Public Advocacy on Corporate Strategy: Nestlé and the Infant Formula Controversy. Journal of International Business Studies. 1994 . 658–660 . 25 . 3 . 10.1057/jibs.1994.41 . 155364. 166328342.
30. Web site: Historical Data for Switzerland / U.S. Foreign Exchange Rate. December 21, 2016.
31. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930082523/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,914298,00.html The Formula Flap
32. News: Nestlé baby milk scandal has grown up but not gone away. Mike. Muller. February 13, 2013. December 21, 2016. The Guardian.
33. Johnson . Douglas A. . 2020 . Confronting Corporate Power: Strategies and Phases of the Nestle Boycott . Journal of Human Lactation . en . 36 . 4 . 756–765 . 10.1177/0890334420964752 . 33035126 . 222256324 . 0890-3344.
34. Web site: The International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes . WHO. 1981. https://web.archive.org/web/20060324165724/http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf . dead . March 24, 2006 . June 6, 2007 .
35. Web site: About IBFAN – The International Baby Food Action Network . 2022-05-30 . en.
36. Web site: Gershon . Livia . 2018-07-20 . The Continuing Controversy Over Baby Formula . 2022-05-30 . JSTOR Daily . en-US.
37. Ferriman. Annabel . Advertising Standards Authority finds against Nestlé . BMJ. February 13, 1999. 417. 9974443 . 318 . 7181 . 1114895 . 10.1136/bmj.318.7181.417a.
38. European Parliament public hearing on Nestlé's baby food marketing . Breast Feeding Promotion Network of India . November 22, 2000 . June 8, 2007 .
39. MEPs shocked as Nestlé and Adidas snub Public Hearing on corporate responsibility . Baby Milk Action . November 23, 2000 . June 8, 2007 . April 15, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070415142048/http://www.ibfan.org/english/news/press/press23nov00.html . dead .
40. Web site: European Parliament Committee on Development . Nestlé . June 7, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927020154/http://www.babymilk.nestle.com/News/All%2BCountries/Other/European%2BParliament%2BCommittee%2Bon%2BDevelopment.htm . September 27, 2007 . dead .
41. Web site: The "International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes" . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070516200307/http://www.babymilk.nestle.com/Who%2BCode%2BIssues/Nestle%2BCode%2BCompliance/Nestle%2Bcode%2Bcompliance.htm . May 16, 2007 . June 6, 2007 . Nestlé.
42. Web site: Foreword by Peter Brabeck . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070409050111/http://www.babymilk.nestle.com/Developping%2BWorld/Foreword/ . April 9, 2007 . June 11, 2007 . Nestlé.
43. Web site: WHO Code Violation Allegations . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070409144431/http://www.babymilk.nestle.com/Who%2BCode%2BIssues/Allegations/ . April 9, 2007 . June 6, 2007 . Nestlé.
44. Web site: Letter from NGOs to Nestlé . 2014-09-05.
45. Web site: The "LAOS: NGOs flay Nestlé's infant formula strategy . June 23, 2011 . November 26, 2014.
46. Web site: Bureau Veritas report . https://web.archive.org/web/20160203234414/http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/r_and_d/compliance/independent_assurance_statement_by_bureau_veritas_laos.pdf . February 3, 2016.
47. Mortality from Nestlé’s Marketing of Infant Formula in Low and Middle-Income Countries. Jesse K. Anttila-Hughes, Lia C.H. Fernald, Paul J. Gertler, Patrick Krause, Eleanor Tsai, and Bruce Wydick. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). March 2018, revised July 2023.
48. News: Jeong . Andrew . 2024-04-24 . Nestlé adds more sugar to baby food in poorer countries, report finds . 2024-07-07 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
49. Web site: Why was a Nestlé boycott launched? . 2022-05-30 . Nestlé Global . en.
50. Web site: Nestlé struggles to win over baby formula critics . 2022-05-30 . SWI swissinfo.ch . January 10, 2020 . en.
51. Web site: Infant formula . 2022-05-30 . Nestlé Global . en.
52. Web site: 2018-02-01 . Nestlé under fire for marketing claims on baby milk formulas . 2022-05-30 . the Guardian . en.
53. Web site: 2018-02-27 . How formula milk firms target mothers who can least afford it . 2022-05-30 . the Guardian . en.
54. World Health Organisation. (2020). Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes: National Implementation of the International Code, Status Report 2020, Summary. https://www.unicef.org/media/69646/file/Marketing-of-breast-milk-substitutes-status-report-2020-summary.pdf
55. Web site: Our History – The International Baby Food Action Network . 2022-05-30 . en.
56. Web site: Home - Mark Thomas Info. December 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20080929130648/http://www.markthomasinfo.com/info/series4.asp. September 29, 2008. dead.
57. News: Scott . Kirsty . Spoof horror writer wins £5,000 Perrier award: Fringe comedy contest soured by baby milk protests . The Guardian . August 27, 2001. June 11, 2007 .
58. Web site: The Tap Water Awards. June 11, 2007. June 12, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070612153156/http://www.tapwaterawards.org/. dead.
59. News: Writers boycott literary festival. BBC News. May 27, 2002. June 7, 2007.