Issue 147

Nestle Boycott

23rd October 2006

Students voiced fresh concerns this week about the actions of the Nestle food company.

The Nestlé boycott has been in place in the Swansea University Students' Union years. A popular international consumer boycott of Nestlé has been in place since 1977. It was primarily started to stop Nestlé's aggressive marketing of its baby milk formula in the developing world. This continues to violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes which was established in 1981 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO promotes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, as it is proven to be nutritious, protect against infection and is important for the development of the baby's immune system. Breast milk is free and always available, formula is expensive, and requires water to reconstitute it, which is a problem in areas in the world where clean, safe water is scarce. As a result, it is estimated that 4,000 babies die each day from unsafe bottle feeding.

Naomi Hart