Why do some people boycott Nestle products.?

Question

I vaguely heard that they refused to donate baby powder to the Third World but even just that bit of hearsay causes people to boycott them without finding out the real story. Anyone know what the REAL story is?

Answer 1

Nestlé is targeted with the boycott because monitoring conducted by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) finds it to be responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company (see the codewatch section for profiles of the different companies to target their malpractice).



As UNICEF has said:



"Marketing practices that undermine breastfeeding are potentially hazardous wherever they are pursued: in the developing world, WHO estimates that some 1.5 million children die each year because they are not adequately breastfed. These facts are not in dispute."



Although Nestlé does dispute the facts. See the Your Questions Answered section for responses to Nestlé's denials and deception. The boycott will continue until Nestlé accepts and complies with Baby Milk Action's four-point plan for saving infant lives and ultimately ending the boycott

Answer 2

Why Boycott Nestle

Answer 3

They didn't refuse to sell baby powder. In the 70s they promoted baby-formula in developing countries by manipulating extremely poor women there into believing it was better than breast-milk.



Thus encouraging people (who had little or no other sources of information) to spend their money on formula... making the poor people poorer, their babies less healthy (sometimes causing death), and Nestle richer.



In the early 80s, Nestle had to comply with new rules stating that baby-formula can only be marketed with the clear message that it is not a substitute for breastmilk. Nestle claims to be in compliance with these regulations now, although some people still boycott.



As far as I know, that's the real story.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

Why do some people boycott Nestle products.?

I vaguely heard that they refused to donate baby powder to the Third World but even just that bit of hearsay causes people to boycott them without finding out the real story. Anyone know what the REAL story is?

Answer 5

Good for you that you are looking into this rather than believing what you heard. I did some research into the Nestle rumours a year or two ago, and what I found led me to exclude Nestle from my life completely.



The main issue regarding Nestle's immoral practices is evidence of improper marketing strategies for their baby food products in developing countries, for example they would employ people to visit mothers in maternity wards to advertise their breast milk substitues. They also repeatedly refused to abide by certain codes of practice which demanded the company clearly state that the baby foods are unsuitable for children under 6 months (Nestle labelled their products as suitable for babies over 4 months). I have seen official reports for the W.H.O. on this matter. You only need to look briefly into the history of the company to see that this has been happening in some form since Nestle's conception: the founder realised that in order to sell more he needed to create a market, and without the regulations we have today he happily went about convincing everyone that his baby food was better for babies than breast milk.



It is also alleged that some of the chocolate Nestle sells comes from cocoa farms in Africa that operate using child slave labour, and they are (last I heard) being taken to court regarding this.



There are many other accusations made (just look up Nestle on Wikipedia), and though active Nestle haters will (as is always the case) exaggerate beyond reason thereby being counter productive to their own cause, there is far too much suspicious activity for the principal of these claims to be unfounded.

Answer 6

The whole baby milk powder is the issue.



The fact that they donate this means the women stop producing breast milk, and therefore when the donations stop, and as they cannot afford to pay for the powder, the babies starve.



Nestle are responsible for a lot of deaths, and therefore people stop buying their products in protest.

Answer 7

I dont know the story but I dont believe the third world should be supported in any other way other than education.



The constant food and economic aid provided to overpopulated countries with excessive birthrates actually compounds the problem.



Charity should only be awarded to nations suffering natural disasters or countries that have control of the population.

Answer 8

That Nestle Quik rabbit is evil!

Answer 9

good for nestle the third world gets enough hand outs

Answer 10

there meant to be promoting child labour