Nestle's Public Relation Machine Exposed

Nestle's public relation machine exposed

This paper gives an overview of the campaign against Nestlй and responds to arguments Nestlй has used in the recent past in letters, booklets and briefings.

Also see the Your Questions Answered page and Boycott News, which is archived in the resources section.

If you have had any other arguments put to you by Nestlй staff or have any questions of your own, please contact us for further information.

Last update 30 May 2002

Contents

* The Nestlй Boycott

* Our struggle to be heard

* Nestlй's bogus arguments

* Who speaks for Nestlй?

* Does the boycott affect jobs?

* The boycott has brought about significant changes

The Nestlй Boycott

Nestlй is the target of a boycott in 20 countries because of its unethical and irresponsible marketing of breastmilk substitutes. The Nestlй boycott is the most popular consumer boycott in the UK 1 Nestlй controls about 40% of the worldwide baby milk market. It is singled out for boycott action because it is the largest single source of violations of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions 2.

The International Code and Resolutions basically ban the promotion of breastmilk substitutes and limit companies to providing scientific and factual information on products to health workers. It is for health workers to advise mothers on infant feeding choices, not companies with a vested interest in encouraging artificial feeding. The International Code also specifies information which should appear on product labels and states that labels should be in an appropriate language. Yet Nestlй continues to violate the International Code and Resolutions, putting its own profits before health. WHO estimates that

reversing the decline in breastfeeding could save 1.5 million infants lives around the world every year 3. Where water is unsafe a bottle-fed child is up to 25 times more likely to die as a result of diarrhoea than a breastfed child 4.

An increasing number of governments have introduced legislation implementing the provisions of the International Code since it was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981. Nestlй has taken the lead in attempting to undermine implementation of these measures by governments (see later).

This briefing has been prepared to answer the latest arguments presented by Nestlй's Public Relations Machine as it attempts to portray itself as an ethical and responsible company.

In 1996 the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) called on Baby Milk Action to justify statements made in the advertisement shown here, following a complaint. The claims were: "Every day, more than 4,000 babies die because they're not breastfed. That's not conjecture, it's UNICEF fact." and "They [Nestlй] aggressively promote their baby milk, breaking a World Health Organisation code of marketing." We justified our claims and the complaint was rejected. For full details see the ASA Monthly Report Number 62.

In May 1999 the ASA upheld all of Baby Milk Action's complaints about a Nestlй anti-boycott advertisement. Nestlй claimed that it markets infant formula "ethically and responsibly". Nestlй also lost its appeal against the ruling. Read the full story

Our struggle to be heard

Nestlй is a master of Public Relations techniques 5 and can draw on massive resources. For every pound Nestlй receives from sales it spends 15 pence on promoting its products and its image 6. This amounts to a staggering promotional budget of US$7 billion every year - that's more than the combined government expenditure of 28 of the world's poorer countries 7.

Baby Milk Action works for independent, transparent and effective controls on the marketing of the baby feeding industry. Our budget is approximately US$300,000 per year 8 - Nestlй spends more than this promoting its business every 30 minutes.

The bulk of Baby Milk Action's budget is spent assisting our overseas partners as they work for the implementation the International Code and Resolutions in national measures and to stop company malpractice. Our resources for tackling Nestlй's PR Machine are limited. You can help us to spread information by referring friends and colleagues to our website.

Nestlй often responds to criticism with a copy of its "Charter".

Nestlй portrays its "Charter" as if it implements the WHO International Code but the "Charter" contains important omissions as our leaflet Nice Design - Shame About the Text reveals. (Contact Baby Milk Action to order our leaflet).

The "Charter" not only falls short of the International Code and susbequent, relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions. Our monitoring shows that Nestlй also breaks its own "Charter". Click here to download our expose: Nice design - shame about the text.

Nestlй's bogus arguments

You may be reading this briefing because of a letter that Nestlй sent to you. We address Nestlй's usual arguments in this section. If there is anything more specific you want answered, please contact us. Baby Milk Action is part of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) consisting of over 150 citizens' groups in over 90 countries. Our information is based on the first hand experiences of our partners.

The publications referred to may be ordered by contacting us. Many are available in our resources centre.

Nestlй says:

The problems with the marketing of breastmilk substitutes were resolved long ago.

The facts:

IBFAN's latest monitoring report Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2001 reports on marketing practices in 14 countries and reveals that violations of the International Code and Resolutions continue to occur. Baby Milk Action's Campaign for Ethical Marketing action sheets also highlight violations.

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