Nestle formula advertising in Ethiopia: How is that complying with the code?

If you are a regular reader of my blog or if you were following the Nestle Family controversy, you will know that Nestle claims that it doesn't market formula in the developing world. Nestle claims to voluntarily abide by the code in all developing countries around the world.  More than a million babies die each year because they are not adequately breastfed. Nestle says it is not to blame. It is being a good corporate citizen. Maybe you believed Nestle, maybe you didn't. Maybe you thought it was a big deal, maybe you didn't.

Upstate Mom of 3 from Our Life Upstate just returned from Ethiopia. She had travelled there to pick up her adopted daughter. She admits that prior to her trip to Ethiopia she "did not really get what the deal is." She didn't understand "why people were so worked up about it." Until she got to Africa.

And then I got off the plane in Ethiopia and saw a huge Nestle formula (NAN) advertisement. And my heart stopped. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture of it due to the angle. But I was so mad!! These people have so little money, the last thing they should be spending it on is formula. They cannot afford it - especially when you factor in that they will need to buy water as well since the water supply is contaminated.

Read her full post Shame On You Nestle!! to see how observing Nestle's violations, lies and deception first hand convinced her what the big deal is.  She also shared on twitter that the women she spoke to in Ethiopia mentioned the Nestle formula samples that were sent home with moms who give birth in the hospital.

How is this complying with the code? How is this not marketing formula? How does anyone believe what Nestle says?

In other news check "Nestle's Twitter PR disaster fuels the boycott in California" on Page 21 of the Baby Milk Action Update for November 2009. See anything familiar?

Comments

[Stephanie]

Sure, it's easy to say anything when you don't realize people will catch you out. Never mind how easy it is these days to find such things out.

[Summer]

It's so, so, so aggravating. Can they not do one good thing without 50 bad things also?

[Elita @ Blacktating]

I've also got photographic proof that they're still using the same logos on formula, coffee creamer and canned milk in South East Asia, when they swore they were going to stop because it was confusing to parents there who are mostly illiterate. Lots of babies ended up in the hospital last year because their parents were feeding them coffee creamer they believed to be infant formula.
http://blacktating.blogspot.com/2009/12/does-anyone-still-believe-nestle.html

[StopNestleWaters.org]

And yet "good corporate citizen" Nestle remains silent - the same tactic used in their bottled water division when confronted by an inconvenient reality.

Truly, this is one company you don't want in your community (or in your pantry).

[se7en]

Shame on them... babies die because of this marketing - it is a BIG deal and, living in Africa, you have to see the consequences that "not marketing" formula has had on an already poverty stricken continent with little chance of accessibility to clean water.

[hillary]

Thanks for keeping this in the news. It is frustrating, but I am so thankful for the conscious blogging scene which is contributing to keeping companies more transparent in their ethics.

[Crystal Gold]

I keep wondering how much longer they can keep silent or, when they do "engage", keep spitting out the same lies when faced with such evidence. It is a complete charade on their part. They seem to think that "mommy bloggers" aren't viewed as credible sources, but I think they HIGHLY under estimate the quality of research and information being documented by you and others. Thanks again for keeping the information current and up to date and being a resource for gathering the latest.

Crystal

[Upstatemomof3]

Personally, I think they were counting on none of us actually being in Africa or South East Asia where we would actually see first hand what they are doing. I mean in reality not many people get to those areas of the world. It is disgusting!!!

[natalieushka]

It's really too bad she couldn't get a photo. That is truly abhorrent behaviour by Nestle.

[Shelly]

Disgusting. And sad. But, not surprising.

[More evidence you can’t]

[...] work of Baby Milk Action’s Boycott Nestle Blog to expose Nestle’s lies, and despite a first person account of Nestle formula advertising seen in Ethiopia, maybe the photographic evidence I collected in Berlin today will change their [...]

[Om_Lulu]

i dont understand why are you mad. aren't there formula ads everywhere in america? and the free samples given by pediatricians and in hospitals. haven't some of you needed to feed their babies with formula for any reason. and if it werent for formula the baby would have lost weight because you didnt have enough breastmilk or were unable to nurse for any number of reasons? so why are people in ethiopia supposed to be different?

[Kika]

"so why are people in ethiopia supposed to be different?"
because poor people in Ethiopia and other developing countries don't have access to clean water to mix the formula with, and little-to-no access to bottled water - if they even have the money to buy bottled water. That's on top of now having to buy formula. Once the formula companies get them "hooked", the mother's breastmilk dries up and she has no other choice but to formula-feed. In addition to the clean water issue, many mothers water down the formula to make it last longer, which is also very dangerous for the babies.