Nestlé CEO Finally Tells the
Truth
Peter
Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlé’s CEO, caused a stir at a recent meeting of business
executives in Boston when, during a particularly candid moment, he uttered a
statement revealing what is really at the core of his company’s ‘business
ethics.’ "What the hell have we taken away from society by being a successful
company and employing people?" he said.
Unfortunately, no one present pointed out all the
things Nestlé has taken away from societies all over the world: the right to
unbiased information about infant feeding, the health of infants and young
children etc. But clearly Brabeck believes that simply by employing people, his
company is doing its duty to society. So then what are we to make of all the
charitable activities Nestlé is constantly publicizing its involvement in?
Clearly they amount to nothing but public relations.
One telling
example is the company’s involvement with tsunami relief in Sri Lanka. Nestlé
has been very pleased to publicize how much food it is donating to the victims
of the tragedy, but all the while there is a campaign in Sri Lanka against the
corporation because it has helped to destroy the national system of domestic
milk production. Milk used to be produced locally and was widely available to
everyone at very low prices, but since Nestlé has taken over milk
distribution, it has been paying local farmers so little that many have
abandoned production. Milk is virtually no longer produced in the country.
In this case, the people Brabeck is so proud of employing have actually been
forced out of their jobs by his company. Nestlé is currently fighting
attempts to raise the price it pays to farmers. It is difficult to believe
that, despite its aid to tsunami victims, the company really does have the
wellbeing of the Sri Lankan people in mind. Another reason to Boycott
Nestlé.
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