Thursday, February 5, 2009

Nestle Boycott

Nestle boycott

Day 4

For nearly three decades now the international community has continued to defend low income earners in developing nations that seem to have been reduced to a soft target by Nestle Business Company allegedly applying aggressive market strategies on selling their product and make profit at the expense of the lives of innocent children.

Campaigners around the world have raised voice against the promotion carried out by this company and created a general outlook popularly dubbed as nestle international boycott in support of poor families. Nestle or milk powder or sometimes referred to as formula is advertised as substitute to breast feeding.

However, campaigners around the world like those under International Baby Food Action, Save the Children, International Group on Breastfeeding Monitoring (IGBM), Baby Milk Action and others are standing firm on the need to educate communities and promote breast feeding. Campaigners are against what has been regarded as deliberate violation of marketing tactics/strategies by Nestle.

There at least four points that campaigners think should be given consideration by Nestle Company before pushing ahead with the frenzied profit-oriented business adverts which at the end of the day lured many to their own detriment.

First milk powder must be diluted with water that might not be clean or safe. As a result children fall sick especially in places where the hygienic condition is poor. Kinds of illness to vulnerable children include diarrhea, ear infection, bacterial meningitis, respiratory infection and others.

Secondly, children are less fed meaning they are given little formula (milk) to ‘save the budget’ bearing in mind that many poor families lacked enough resources to ensure regular feeding to the children.

Thirdly, during breast feeding a child receives natural nutrients from the mother while formula lacked the advantage all together.

Last but not the least bond between mother and child is strengthened during breast feeding and this should be encouraged to allow family cohesion.

In some countries like India, Pakistan and others Nestle was accused of bribing some medical professionals to help advertise the product such that it was offered for free in hospitals. But then outside the hospital the supply was not available for free as a result families should buy to sustain the feeding started in hospital.

Until today, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other stakeholders coordinated by International Nestle Boycott Committee with its secretariat in the UK through various channels in over 100 countries push for global support to save the children from the company allegedly causing unnecessary deaths to the children.


Ends

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