Open letter to the Ontario Nurses Association from Kathy Bodden, RN, IBCLC

Why should you know about the boycott? Most importantly because UNICEF estimated that one and a half million infants died last year because they weren't breastfed. And secondly, the reason why this article is appearing in ONA Vision, is because the Institute for Work and Health, on which ONA's CEO, Lesley Bell sits as one of the Directors, has as Vice Chair, Marilyn Knox, who is President of Nutrition, Nestlé Canada Inc. In Canada, a formula fed baby is 5 times more likely than a breastfed infant to get a gut infection, but at least she may get medical help. In poor conditions, the less breastfeeding a baby gets, the more likely she is to die.

The Nestlé boycott was launched in 1977 because people learned of the aggressive marketing techniques of cow's milk formula in developing countries and saw increased infant morbidity and mortality as a result. This led to the World Health Organization and UNICEF drafting and adopting The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in 1981. Though the original boycott ended in 1984, when Nestlé publicly agreed to adhere to the Code, in reality, they devised other marketing strategies.

Here in Canada and elsewhere Nestlé flagrantly violates the Code, by providing free samples to new mothers, by advertising its artificial feeding products in parenting magazines, by operating "baby clubs" to entice mothers into artificial feeding, by using shelf talkers and in-store specials. They have approached health care facilities to attempt to create "partnerships" in working toward a Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. They have approached Medela with a partnering proposition in an effort to have their products used in hospitals nurseries.

The Nestlé boycott means we should not buy Nestlé products. It also means we should recognize and object to their subtler and more sophisticated tactics. Whereas ONA's Lesley Bell, who represents you and me as nurses, has an obligation to maintain the trust of the public and act with integrity, the President of Nestlé's obligation is to its shareholders.

Join me in objecting to the presence of any formula company employee on the board of The Institute for Work and Health. Write to the Institute for Work and Health at 250 Bloor St. East, Suite 702, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1E6, phone 416-927-2027, fax 416-927-4167 or e-mail Terrance Sullivan, President at tsullivan@iwh.on.ca For more contacts and info go to www.iwh.on.ca