Boycott Nestlé?
Boycott Nestlé?
My commitment to breastfeeding is second to none (please refer to my article on the subject) so why would I question the decades-long boycott of the world’s largest formula company?
The outrage that led to the boycott is understandable. Mixing formula with contaminated water is a recipe for disaster. Half a million babies die in a typical year from rotavirus alone; most of those deaths are preventable. Giving new mothers formula samples sends a defeatist message. Even in our rich country, half our mothers qualify for WIC assistance. WIC gives lip service to breastfeeding but undermines it by providing formula for a year or longer to families well above the “poverty line”
(which in the USA means only one color TV and one car).
It is a myth that mothers in undeveloped countries can nurse their babies with ease. A study of African mothers showed just 58% were successful; wet nurses filled in. Not only are many poor women malnourished, but AIDS, hepatitis B and other diseases can be spread through breast milk. Would putting Nestlé out of business help these countries?
In the minds of activists, profit=greed. That is socialist bunk. Profit=jobs, infrastructure, health, prosperity in my world. The company is guilty of sloppy marketing but their product is legal, inherently safe, and sadly necessary. Were I CEO, I’d make sure my profits were put toward building sewers, hospitals, roads. etc. (I bet they already do). The problem in the third world isn’t eeeevil corporations, but dysfunctional, corrupt, sometimes truly evil governments.