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Response to DCSF Consultation on Impact of the Commercial World on Children's Wellbeing - A Call for Evidence

17 June, 2010 - 23:37 — Patti

 

Baby Milk Action  response to the Department of Children Schools and Families consultation: Assessing the Impact of the Commercial World on Children's Wellbeing - A Call for Evidence    July  2008

Baby Feeding Law Group writes to Mead Johnson about Alactagrow promotion in the Philippines

16 June, 2010 - 09:46 — Patti
AlactaGifttoChild.jpg

The Baby Feeding Law Group  representing 24 leading health professional and lay organisations in the UK,  including the Royal Colleges of Paediatrics, Nursing and Midwifery, has written to the US company Mead Johnson about its irresponsible promotion of Alactagrow in the Philippines. 

Michael Gove's 'Dark Agenda'

27 May, 2010 - 11:45 — Patti

 One aspect of the new Education Minister, Michael Gove's policy that hasn't been questioned is what he means when he will check whether parents who want to set up new schools have a "dark agenda."

Good that he promises not to allow extremist religious groups,' fake theories' and 'bogus science' - but what about the corporate agenda?

Nestle, the UN Global Compact and OECD Guidelines

21 May, 2010 - 13:16 — Webmaster

What happened when Nestlé was reported for violating the UN Global Compact and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises?

 

Abstract 

The UN Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises seek to improve compliance of businesses with human rights norms and other international standards. A coalition of organisations registered complaints in June 2009 regarding Nestlé S.A. to the Global Compact Office and the Swiss National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines. Both stressed they are responsible for voluntary initiatives and that they are only prepared to promote 'dialogue'. Although the UN Global Compact Office has powers to exclude companies, it stated: "Of course, abuses of the 10 Principles do occur; however we believe that such abuses only indicate that it is important for the company to remain in the Compact and learn from its mistakes." It is suggested that this international regulatory framework is both ineffective at holding corporations to account and is misused for public relations purposes. Alternatives are proposed.

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead answers Lord Avebury's PQ on Nestle and UNHCR

2 May, 2010 - 14:33 — Patti

Question tabled in the House of Lords by Lord Avebury, (Lib Dem Peer) 30th November 2009

 

    To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will discuss with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees the desirability of entering into a new partnership agreement with Nestlé, with reference to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly resolutions. [HL378]

    The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): We fully support the principles of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly and are committed to the promotion and encouragement of breastfeeding for infants. We have spoken with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and understand that they are in the process of considering their position.

    6 Jan 2010 : Column WA99

US bans synthetic DHA ARA in organic formulas

30 April, 2010 - 16:18 — Patti

US bans DHA and ARA in organic formulas

Obama administration bans two additives used in organic baby food

By Kimberly Kindy  Washington Post Staff Writer   Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Obama administration announced Tuesday that two synthetic additives will no longer be permitted in infant formula or baby foods certified as organic because the widely used ingredients have not received legal approval for use in organic products  The additives -- omega-3 fatty acid DHA and omega-6 fatty acid ARA -- are present in 90 percent of organic infant formulas and are marketed as promoting brain and eye development in ways that mimic breast milk. The Washington Post reported last July that U.S. Department of Agriculture employees had concluded three years earlier that the fatty acids violated federal standards and should be banned from products carrying the federal organic label. Their findings were overruled by a USDA program manager who had been heavily lobbied by the formula industry.

Nestle challenged at its AGM 2010, Lausanne, Switzerland 15th April

16 April, 2010 - 17:54 — Patti

Below is my intervention at Nestlé's Shareholder meeting in April 2010 in Lausanne. I challenged the company about its failure to abide by marketing standards adopted by the World Health Assembly and about it health claims strategy which tells mothers in 120 countries that its baby milk will 'protect' their babies.  At this AGM we were joined by Greenpeace activists who cut through the ceiling to challenge Nestle about its exploitation of palm oil. 

In response to Greenpeace, Peter Brabeck, Nestlé's Chair and CEO said: 'Tying corporations up in regulatory straightjackets is unnecessary when companies such as Nestlé already have sound principles and core values.’

BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PHILIPPINES: BREASTFEEDING IN THE WORKPLACE IS A LAW

22 March, 2010 - 15:15 — Patti

 

Tackling Obesity: How Companies Use Education to Build Trust. Briefing

12 March, 2010 - 14:38 — Patti

 PDF of this briefing

 

 

 

 

 

Breastfeeding provides an ideal window of opportunity for obesity prevention and may help in the development of taste receptors and appetite control.

 The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considered that there are two potential, cost-effective interventions that can be put into place immediately to deal with the childhood obesity epidemic: decreased television viewing and breastfeeding promotion.

“Artificially fed infants consume 30,000 more calories than breastfed infants by 8 months of age” (equivalent to 120 chocolate bars - 4 a week). Student Study Guide for Breastfeeding and Human Lactation KG Auerbach, J Riordan - 1993 

As pressure builds to stop junk food advertising to children, many companies are focussing attention on nutrition and health education in an attempt to re-establish themselves as producers of healthy food. By  building public trust in this image they can divert attention from the continued aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods.  The  education materials and facilities that are produced as a result present an even more complex problem than straightforward advertising because they blur the boundaries between advertising, marketing and education.

Although  individual employees often have philanthropic motives, corporations themselves have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to maximise profits, so the deal will be done with multiple motives: 

For example, companies will hope to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • involve potential critics in partnerships and so discourage  them from speaking out;
  • discourage open debate about sponsors
  • undermine the independence of monitoring schemes;
  • use education facilities as a channel for commercial propaganda which undermines public health messages;
  • project a healthy, responsible corporate image and so gain the trust of children, parents and teachers;
  • distort the curriculum in favour of business interests - promoting a self regulation and partnership approach to marketing rather than regulation;
  • use the ‘halo’ effect as evidence of Corporate Social Responsibility 
  • divert attention from/‘engineer consent’ for actions which are anti-social and which harm sustainable development, the environment and human survival. 

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