Is your family participating in International Nestlé-free Week: 2010? Mine is. I had intended to get a post up today I was working on about why my family boycotts Nestlé but for now you can read this from PhD in Parenting or read about what Nestlé did to deserve a boycott here. Please understand that while part of the reason for the Nestlé boycott does have to do with the way they market their breastmilk substitutes, the boycott is not because they make formula. Boycotting Nestlé is in no way a judgment on those that use Nestlé formula or any other formula to feed their baby.
So while my post on boycotting Nestlé isn't up yet I did want to share with you a sample form letter you can use to express your concern to Nestlé and inform them of your decision to boycott their products and brands. Please feel free to copy this letter and use it word for word or to modify as you see fit and sign your name on the bottom. Let's communicate to Nestlé that the world-wide boycott of their products is in no way over even after 30 years and that it has, in fact, revitalized and will continue to go strong until they make significant changes.
Letters may be printed out and mailed to the address below, e-mailed, or through the contact page on Nestlé's website.
___________________________________________________________________
Peter Braceck-Letmanthe
Nestlé SA
Avenue Nestlé
1800 Vevey
Switzerland
Dear Mr. Brabeck-Letmanthe,
It is with the utmost concern that I am writing regarding your business practices; specifically the regular violations of the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, the use of child-labor by your cocoa suppliers and careless manufacturing practices resulting in environmental damage. As my family can not support such a lack of responsibility, we have chosen to boycott your products and brands and will continue to do so until independent evidence shows that Nestlé complies fully with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Furthermore, we will be actively educating our friends and family via word of mouth regarding the questionable practices and why Nestlé is one of the most boycotted companies in the world.
Mr. Brabeck-Letmanthe, I urge you to raise Nestlé to be a leading company of integrity, setting an example of global responsibility by changing the unethical, unhealthy and dangerous practices currently applied. Follow through with your claims of being a company that promotes nutrition [1], health and wellness; of supporting the United Nations Global Compact's guiding principles on human rights and labor with an aim to provide an example [2]; of practicing ethical leadership and personal responsibility [3]; of having a commitment to "protect employees, contractors and others involved along the value chain" [4]; of requiring suppliers, agents and subcontractors to demonstrate honesty, integrity and fairness" [5]; of a commitment to environmental sustainability "at all stages of the product life cycle" and "target zero waste" including "responsible management of the world's resources by all water users" [6]; and adhere to the guidelines of the WHO code of marketing breastmilk substitutes. When these claims can be verified by independent investigations my family and I will happily return as Nestlé customers. Until that time we will continue our boycott and encourage others to do the same.
Yours sincerely,
References:
[1] Nestlé Nutritional Profiling System via http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm
[2] Nestlé Consumer Communications Principles via http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm
[3] Nestlé Management and Leadership Principles and Nestlé Code of Business Conduct via http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm
[4] Nestlé Policy on Health and Safety at Work via http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm
[5] Nestlé Supplier Code via http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm
[6] Nestlé Policy on Environmental Sustainability, Nestlé Policy on Environmental Sustainability, and Nestlé Water Report via http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm
___________________________________________________________________
Nestlé tries to deny that the boycott has been going on for 30+ years. They also assert that they are a responsible company but their track record and independent analysis indicates otherwise. In an effort to recast their image, Nestlé has filled their website with green, health, and human rights buzz words but don't be fooled, they talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. Together we can hold Nestlé accountable.
Tomorrow look for more on the Nestlé boycott and how this will impact my family's Halloween as well as alternatives to Nestlé products and links with more information and brand lists.
Just emailed it. Thank you for taking the time to do this!
ReplyDeleteThis still does not tell me what violations were made to warrant a letter or boycot. I would like to know specifically what the issues are with their marketing so that I can participate!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for putting this together! I've shared it with my readers as well. Hope they get enough to get the message. <3
ReplyDeletePostageallen, the 3 links in the first paragraph all have information as to the reasons behind the Nestlé boycott. Though I'm planning a personal post as to why my family chooses to boycott the information is essentially the same as in those links provided above.
ReplyDeleteI'm including two additional links that you may find helpful in learning the specific allegations against Nestle here:
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=240
http://betterworldshopper.com/r-chocolate.html
I hope those resources help shed a little more light on the boycott. Please let me know if you have more questions.
Mama Eve, I'm so glad you found this letter helpful. Thanks for sharing it, I hope more families will let Nestlé know of their decision.
You can see examples of Nestlé's current global baby milk marketing campaign here:
ReplyDeletehttp://info.babymilkaction.org/emailnestle
Nestlé claims its formula 'protects' babies and is 'The new "Gold Standard" in infant nutrition, while knowing that babies who are fed on formula are more likely to become sick than breastfed babies and, in conditions of poverty, more likely to die.
It also refuses to provide information to people who use powdered formula about the possible risks of contamination with harmful bacteria as it is not a sterile product, and the simple steps to reduce these risks. Doing so would undermine its 'protect' claims.
Nestlé's response to the call for it to stop these practices - which are a clear breach of the international marketing requirements - is available via the above link and shows why increased pressure from the boycott and people sending messages to Nestlé is necessary.