International Nestle-Free Week

A little background. I borrowed a book from my sister - The Politics of Breastfeeding. Included in the book was a history of the company of Nestle's business and advertitisement practices. I was shocked, apalled and sickened. Then I was motivated. Motivated to do what I could to bring about change. So - what is Nestle doing, why should you care and what can you do about it?

NESTLÉ VIOLATES CHILD RIGHTS
The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the fundamental role that breastfeeding plays in fulfilling the right of every child to the highest attainable standard of health. Breastfeeding could prevent 13% of all under-5 deaths and is far
more effective than other preventive interventions such as water sanitation and immunisation.2 When Nestlé undermines breastfeeding it inevitably violates child rights. http://www.babymilkaction.org/pdfs/nprmeprint05.pdf

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.

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.

What can you do? Use your buying power to its greatest advantage. Boycott Nestle! What products does Nestle make? You might be surprised.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This list includes all products from which Nestlé profits. So Nestlé ice cream is listed because, although Nestlé sold the company, it continues to receive payments for use of the brand name. We welcome new information regarding changes in ownership, but please remember that headline stories about brands being sold do not usually give all the details of the deal. A product is only removed from the list when we are reasonably confident that all links to Nestlé have been cut .

Coffee - Nescafé including:
Alta Rica, Black Gold, Blend 37, Cap Colombie, Cappuccino, Caro, Decaff, Expresso, Fine Blend, Gold Blend, Kenjara, Nescafé Ice, Organic, Partners Blend
Dairy products
Carnation, Coffee-Mate, Extreme Viennois, Fussells, Ideal, LC1, Munch Bunch yoghurts, Rowntree yoghurts and ice creams, Simply Double Ski yogurts, Sveltesse yogurts, Tip-Top
Confectionery & snacks Aero, After Eights, Animal Bar, Baci Chocolate, Black Magic, Blue Riband, Breakaway, Caramac Chocolate Cuisine*, Colgate Dental Gum, Dairy Box, Dairy Crunch,Double Cream, Drifter, Fab Fruit Pastilles, Heaven, Henri Nestlé Collection, Jellytots, Kit Kat, Kit Kat Chunky, Lion Bar, *Lyons Maid Ice Cream, Matchmakers, Maxibon, Milky Bar, Munchies, *Nestlé Ice Cream, Polo, Quality Street, Rolo, Rowntrees Fruit Gums, Smarties, Toffee Crisp, Toffo, Tooty Frooties, Walnut Whip, Willy Wonka, Yorkie
Contact lens care
Alcon
Mineral/bottled water
Aqua Panna, Aquarel, Buxton, Contrex, Perrier, Pow-wow, San Pellegrino, Santa Maria, Valvert, Vittel
Other drinks
Build-up, Milo, Nesquik, Nestea
Processed meals
Buitoni pasta & canned foods, Herta Maggi, *Osem/Tivall, *Rowntrees Jellies
*Cereals
Cheerios & Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon and Golden Grahams Clusters, Cookie Crisp, Shreddies, Fibre 1, Fitnesse, Force Flakes, Fruitful, Golden Nuggets, Nesquik cereal, Shredded Wheat including: Bitesize, Fruitful, Honey Nut Shreddies: Coco and frosted
*Cosmetics
Biotherm, Body Shop, Cosmence, Garnier, Helena Rubenstein, Innéov, La Roche-Posay, Lancome, L'Oreal, Matrix, Maybelline, Metamorphosis, Plénitude, Redken
Pet Foods
Arthur's, Bakers, BETA, Bonio, Felix, Friskies, Go-Cat, Go-dog, Gourmet, One, Pro Plan, Purina, Spiller's, Vital Balance, Winalot

If you don't feel that you can give up these products completely, please give them up during the week of the boycott - July 2-8. The boycott has forced some changes from the company, but it is still a long way from complying. Campaigners are also working for laws. Nestlé can comply when it is given no choice. It is not being asked to do something that is impossible, but without pressure it continues to put its own profits before infant health and mothers' rights. And of course, tell all of your friends to join in!

Next week, call their hotline and tell them you won’t be buying any of their products.
The number to dial in Canada is: 1 800 387-5536.
The number to dial in the USA is: 1 800 225-2270.
The lines are open from 8 am to 8 pm.
Follow the instructions that let you talk with a representative. You may have to hold for a few minutes. Tell them what’s on your mind or read from the text below.

Remember, let them know how strongly you feel, but be polite! I’m calling to
let you know that this week has been declared International Nestlé-Free
Week. I, and many others like me around the world, will not be buying any
Nestlé products this week because your company engages in the unethical
marketing of infant formula. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.5
million children die every year because they were not breastfed. Nestlé
contributes to these deaths by convincing mothers in poor nations not to
breastfeed through aggressive and misleading advertising. Until Nestlé stops
these immoral actions and complies with international marketing guidelines, I
will be Nestlé-Free.

If you would like to keep up on the progress of the boycott, add this blog http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/ by Baby Milk Action's Campaigns and Networking Coordinator to your favorites.