Email update : 22 June 2010
HAPPENING TODAY AT 14:30 UK TIME: Gabrielle Palmer web chat on the Politics of Breastfeeding. See:http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/
2010/jun/18/live-chat-breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding Week campaign update
- Solidarity message from Brazilian National Breastfeeding Conference
- United Reformed Church Assembly presents opportunity to pressure Nestlé to change
Breastfeeding Week campaign update
| It is UK Breastfeeding Awareness Week (21 - 27 June). In our press release we are asking people to support our Email Nestlé in June campaign, calling on it to stop claiming its formula 'protects' babies. Here's an update on the campaign. |  |
pressrelease16jun10
Nestlé is still defending its strategy of promoting its breastmilk substitutes with the claim these 'protect' babies and other health claims.
Nestlé refuses to stop this violation of the World Health Assembly marketing standards - so if you have already emailed Nestle yourself, please help us to promote our email campaign by going to this page:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/cem/cemjune10
In its latest statement, Nestle is telling people: "the World Health Assembly does not formulate marketing standards – rather it makes health policy recommendations to Member States."
A strange claim as the Assembly adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in 1981 and in May 2010 again called upon “Infant food manufacturers and distributors to comply fully with their responsibilities under the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant World Health Assembly resolutions.”
Nestlé's not listening to the Assembly, as it puts its own profits first. Our experience shows that if enough people raise a fuss, it will back down. This is now being reported in the mainstream media today, which increases the pressure on Nestlé (links from our press release above).
Brazilian Breastfeeding Conference sends message of solidarity
We have posted a message from the Brazilian National Breastfeeding Conference that took place earlier this month.See:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease
/pressrelease21jun10
Brazil has introduced progressively stronger regulations implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant Resolutions of the World Health Assembly. Hence, Nestlé's 'protect' logos do not appear in Brazil, but have been launched in 120 other countries. In Brazil median breastfeeding duration has increased from less than 3 months at the start of the 1980s to ten months today.
United Reformed Church Assembly 2010 presents opportunity to expose Nestlé
We have just learned that the forthcoming URC Assembly is due to discuss its boycott on investing in Nestlé on 4 July and possibly its promotion of the boycott of Nestlé products.If you are a member of the Church, please take a look at our campaign blog for information on how this can be used as an opportunity to expose how Nestlé is pushing baby milk with its 'protect' strategy and other violations of the World Health Assembly marketing standards.
See:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/
campaignblog210610
