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Not boycotting Nestle....

2K views 50 replies 25 participants last post by  hubris 
#1 ·
I guess i understand people being upset with Nestle, but wanted to share another perspective.

An ex boyfriend of mine had a young cousin with Cystic Fibrosis. At every turn, they hit roadblocks in regards to insurance coverage, money difficulties, etc.

Nestle often did nice things for them including donating his feeding supplies for a year.

His mother was always deeply grateful to the generosity of the company as that was a substantial amount of money for them as he was tube fed a few times a day.

So, for that reason, I won't be joining in the boycott. I tend to think of companies as evil, but one that helps a family like that is OK in my book.

XOXO
Beth
 
#2 ·
Bad companies still can do good things. If you pollute an entire villages water supply but hand them all the bottles of water they can have you've still done a bad thing.

I totally don't get why you would support the worst ABM company the world over on purpose regadless of the little good the have done.
 
#3 ·
OK, they gave ONE family free formula for a year. How many millions of babies have they deprived of breastmilk due to their marketing practices? How many babies were malnourished because their parents diluted the expensive formula? How many of their families were malnourished because they couldn't afford food for the rest of the family after buying formula?

It's nice that somebody in the USA section of Nestle did a good thing, but it still doesn't un-do the harm the whole company does to some very vulnerable babies.
 
#4 ·
Slightly OT, but I just got the book "Milk, Money and Madness" and I peeked at the back where they list off all Nestle products. GOOD GOD, that list is NEVER ENDING. I had no idea how far-reaching and multi-industry Nestle is. Maybe we should make a sticky for this board with a full list of the products so people know, cuz it sure was news to me!
 
#6 ·
I'll don my flame-proof suit and say....

I don't really 100% actively boycott Nestle. Not to say that I "endorse" or "support" them, either. I agree with pp that one good deed does not cancel decades of irresponsible exploitation.

For me, as an active and prominent breastfeeding advocate for 8 years now, I have had to make decisions about where I would focus my efforts. Several years ago, I decided that pushing the Nestle boycott was not going to be *my area*. Personally, I'd really like to see the medical system either help with breastfeeding, or at least get the h*ll out of the way, and not sabatoge it. I also work on getting systemic barrier eliminated, like the stigma against nursing in public, and better workplace flexibility and/or maternity leaves to allow moms to stay near their babies and breastfeed them.

When I can, I will choose another product other than Nestle. But where there is no choice (ie - all the ice cream treats that I can buy here in convenience stores, are all owned by Nestle now), I will not deny my kids an ice cream treat on a hot day, just because of the boycott. nestle has been ignoring the boycott for years, I don't think it is going to change, or that is the way that we will most be able to increase breastfeeding.

just my decision, no one needs to follow me!
Janice
 
#7 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Quagmire
Slightly OT, but I just got the book "Milk, Money and Madness" and I peeked at the back where they list off all Nestle products. GOOD GOD, that list is NEVER ENDING. I had no idea how far-reaching and multi-industry Nestle is. Maybe we should make a sticky for this board with a full list of the products so people know, cuz it sure was news to me!
Between Nestle , phillip morris, and con-agra there is almost nothing you can buy from a regular store without supporting one of these dispicable businesses and quite a bit of what you find in halth food stores is by these companies (under different names of course). It is crazy.

speaking of the good they do vs the bad they do there is a new anti-ciggareet comercial that talks about Phillip morris donating like a large dollar amount of food and then spending 10 times that on advertising thier good work. Now I don't think a copmpany needs to hide ina corner when they do god and it need not ever serve them but thier motivation there is clear. I think the same is true for Nestle. one good act does not negate all the bad they have done.
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice in Canada
I'll don my flame-proof suit and say....

I don't really 100% actively boycott Nestle. Not to say that I "endorse" or "support" them, either. I agree with pp that one good deed does not cancel decades of irresponsible exploitation.

For me, as an active and prominent breastfeeding advocate for 8 years now, I have had to make decisions about where I would focus my efforts. Several years ago, I decided that pushing the Nestle boycott was not going to be *my area*. Personally, I'd really like to see the medical system either help with breastfeeding, or at least get the h*ll out of the way, and not sabatoge it. I also work on getting systemic barrier eliminated, like the stigma against nursing in public, and better workplace flexibility and/or maternity leaves to allow moms to stay near their babies and breastfeed them.

When I can, I will choose another product other than Nestle. But where there is no choice (ie - all the ice cream treats that I can buy here in convenience stores, are all owned by Nestle now), I will not deny my kids an ice cream treat on a hot day, just because of the boycott. nestle has been ignoring the boycott for years, I don't think it is going to change, or that is the way that we will most be able to increase breastfeeding.

just my decision, no one needs to follow me!
Janice
I'm with you Janice.

They make nut-free treats for kids too that many parents I know whose children are severe allergic can now enjoy.

I don't need to don a flame retardent suit either, everyone chooses their own ways and no one should shove their opinions down others' throats just because they are passionate about it.

I enjoy many Nestle items, not tons but many....and my kids do also. And I teach BF and council moms and teach of their practices and educate where and when I can. But I don't attack or judge anyone for NOT boycotting. Can't see it doing much good to boycott as is. No proof it's made a dent that I've seen lately.
 
#10 ·
I have no problem with somebody saying "I'm not participating in the Nestle boycott because it's not where I want to focus my efforts." or "I'm not participating in the Nestle boycott because my family is on a restricted diet and Nestle makes some of the few products we can actually eat."

IMO, that's way different from saying "I'm not boycotting Nestle because they're a great company and I want to encourage others to abandon the boycott as well."
 
#12 ·
Ironically, Nestle has HELPED me breastfeed. I do use an SNS with formula (not Nestle), but I'm a low-supply mom and "malt" is highly lactogenic. I have bought the malt syrup from edenfoods, but I also enjoy the carnation malted milk powder (nestle). If I drink a glass of malted milk every day, I can maintain the low supply I do have. If I skip a day, my supply dips (as if it can get any lower).
 
#13 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by MarcyC
Ironically, Nestle has HELPED me breastfeed. I do use an SNS with formula (not Nestle), but I'm a low-supply mom and "malt" is highly lactogenic. I have bought the malt syrup from edenfoods, but I also enjoy the carnation malted milk powder (nestle). If I drink a glass of malted milk every day, I can maintain the low supply I do have. If I skip a day, my supply dips (as if it can get any lower).
Then you do what you need to do- you have a medical need for a product that Nestle makes, so you use it (ditto if you needed to supplement and the only formula your baby tolerated was Carnation Good Start.) That doesn't mean that you can't avoid as many Nestle products as possible and only buy the malted milk.
 
#16 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Viola
Just curious, what were his feeding supplies?
to be honest, I don't know. something that was put into his feeding tube that was a nestle product.

as far as I know, it was not advertised or on the news. they just did it.

XOXO
B
 
#17 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthla
I have no problem with somebody saying "I'm not participating in the Nestle boycott because it's not where I want to focus my efforts." or "I'm not participating in the Nestle boycott because my family is on a restricted diet and Nestle makes some of the few products we can actually eat."

IMO, that's way different from saying "I'm not boycotting Nestle because they're a great company and I want to encourage others to abandon the boycott as well."
I don't think I actually said that. Come on now. I just wanted to throw out something positive. Doesn't mean I say they are a GREAT company. Jeez louise. Cut me some slack, Ruthla
 
#18 ·
I don't purchase any products that have "Nestle" in big letters on it. But I don't go checking the back of every product I buy to see if its in some way affilitated with Nestle. I don't have that kind of energy. I prefer to help new moms in other ways.
 
#19 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by BethSLP
I guess i understand people being upset with Nestle, but wanted to share another perspective.

An ex boyfriend of mine had a young cousin with Cystic Fibrosis. At every turn, they hit roadblocks in regards to insurance coverage, money difficulties, etc.

Nestle often did nice things for them including donating his feeding supplies for a year.

His mother was always deeply grateful to the generosity of the company as that was a substantial amount of money for them as he was tube fed a few times a day.

So, for that reason, I won't be joining in the boycott. I tend to think of companies as evil, but one that helps a family like that is OK in my book.

XOXO
Beth

Why in heaven's name would you post this on the breastfeeding ADVOCACY board?!
 
#21 ·
All terrible companies do "nice" things for PR and tax write-offs. A friend of mine has MS and gets her (VERY EXPENSIVE) meds free from the pharma company.

This doesn't change my opinion of the pharma industry. If they really cared- they would lower their prices and make sure that all people got life-saving meds when they needed them. This would cause them to loose profits, so instead, they keep their prices high, high, high and pat themselves on the back for "helping people". People still die all over the world when they can't afford treatment for preventable and treatable diseases.

A few benevolent acts don't magically erase corporate greed and corruption. We can all think of nice examples in our individual lives that show that Nestle and others like it "aren't that bad". This doesn't mean that we are looking at the whole picture.
 
#22 ·
I boycott Nestle.
But there are two phases to boycotting nestle. VEry few people can and do boycott every Nestle owned products.
You are participating in the boycott of you agree to boycott the "flagship" product of your country. In the US that is Nescafe.
I dont really drink Nescafe so I chose all Nestle chocolate as our boycott for our family. I still feel that I am boycotting them on principle but it would be really pointless for me to boycott a single product I never buy, so I have selected a small list that I stick to.
Joline
 
#25 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by BethSLP
to be honest, I don't know. something that was put into his feeding tube that was a nestle product.

as far as I know, it was not advertised or on the news. they just did it.

XOXO
B
But by you posting about it and others, that I am sure, that are spreading the news they ARE getting advertising from it.

I really don't give a care about what they did for a boy in the good old USA, where there are far more opportunities to receive aid than countries overseas where BABIES DIE because of Nestle's deplorable marketing practices. I will never knowingly buy a Nestle product again.
 
#26 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Trishy
I will never knowingly buy a Nestle product again.
Too right. My seven-year-old refused to buy a Wonka bar when he saw that Nestle made them. He said--and I quote--"Mama, I would hate for any of our money to go to a company that hurts babies." One tiny good deed doesn't make a difference in the vast pool of evil deeds they have done.
 
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