BOYCOTT NEWS Tap into the talent FTSE4Good to support the 2002 Tap excludes Water Awards. Emma Thompson and Steve Nestlé Coogan recorded special video interviews while in The FTSE4Good ethical Edinburgh which are available indices were launched this on our website. Steve Coogan summer, with Nestlé and had been asked to present the other violators of the Perrier Awards, but when International Code and asked for his comment during Resolutions being excluded what was described as a from the relevant lists (Nestlé ‘shambolic’ live Channel 4 TV is in the ‘starting universe’ of Most national and local papers carried prominent headlines reporting the boycott broadcast, he urged people to international lists and has been excluded from these). The Perrier Comedy Awards, Steve Coogan, Zoe “Boycott Nestlé.” Ssection 8 of the selection the UK’s most sought after Wannamaker and Julie Nestlé bought Perrier in criteria for social issues and award for up and coming Christie. Mark Thomas wrote a 1992, and has since become stakeholder relations states comedians, unexpectedly feature article in the New the world’s leading producer "Companies must not have caught public attention for a Statesman. of bottled water. A major part breached the infant formula very different reason at this As a corporate-free of its strategy is promotion of manufacturing section of the year’s Edinburgh Fringe alternative to the Perrier, the the bottled water brand, Pure International Code on Festival. Edinburgh-based, Out of the Life, in the developing world. Marketing of Breastmilk Comedian Rob Newman Blue Trust set up the Tap Concerns about the Substitutes according to the started what became a media Water Awards at the Bongo undermining of natural water International Baby Food circus surrounding a boycott of Club, which attracted over supplies by bottled water Action Network [IBFAN]." the awards when people 100 entrants who were companies have been raised FTSE4Good is an index realised that Perrier was a boycotting the Perrier. It is by numerous organisations, for "socially responsible Nestlé brand and embroiled in hoped that the Tap Water including the World Wildlife investment" designed by global controversy. In an Awards will continue in future Fund and Save America’s FTSE, one of the world's article by Louise Rimmer in years to give talented new Water. leading global index Scotland on Sunday, Rob artists the chance to express Links to some of the press coverage and other useful sites can be found at: providers. According to the Newman said “I would themselves without being www.babymilkaction.org FTSE4Good website: certainly urge comedians at linked to a brand promotion. www.saveamericas.water.com "FTSE4Good is a series of the Fringe to boycott the Emma Thompson has offered www.panda.org/news/press benchmark and tradable awards this year because of indices facilitating the involvement of Nestlé.” investment in companies In the ensuing press with good records of coverage the boycott was corporate social featured in most of the local responsibility. FTSE4Good is and national papers, radio unique - there is no other and TV stations. On the BBC’s socially responsible index Six O’clock News, comedian quite like it. Independently Victoria Wood, supporting the defined and researched, boycott, regretted the way FTSE4Good sets an that Perrier had become a objective global standard for corporate event. socially responsible Past recipients and other investment.” celebrities added their support Cartoon: Frank Boyle - first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News 23/08/01 including Emma Thompson, Boycott News 30 December 2001, Page 1 Update boycott news supplement Nestlé and Foot and Mouth ‘fiercely’ lobbying Sadly, the farmers, rather than ministers, civil the industry lobbyists got all Nestle’s powerful lobbying of representatives from farmers’ servants and Nick Brown, then the blame. governments around the world unions and industry state: "The Agriculture Secretary. While other countries such has been implicated in the Prime Minister said the Mr Blackburn said that a as Argentina and the overturning of many decisions Government increasingly vaccination plan could have Netherlands used vaccination, in the past, but last April it was believed that vaccination of risked Nestlé’s exports of the UK had to fall back on the turn of the British dairy cattle should be powdered milk and even culling. Over 5 million Government to feel the might introduced in Cumbria, and threatened closure of its animals have been killed and of Nestlé pressure. possibly in Devon." However Dalston plant. Mr Blackburn burnt on pyres at a cost of An exposé by John Vidal in Nestlé, which operates a wrote to Mr Blair saying that £2.7 bn, while much of the the Guardian (3 Sept) revealed factory in Dalston, Cumbria British food exports worth countryside has been closed. that Nestlé had headed up a where its powdered milk is $8bn would be compromised Some rural businesses face powerful business lobby that produced (75% of which is by a vaccination policy. bankruptcy (tourism fell by had managed to stop the exported to developing The Government’s plans to 17% in July, for example). British Government from countries), vigorously opposed vaccinate were all in place: Ask your Member of implementing a vaccination the government’s decision. The 500,000 vaccines had been Parliament to raise ACTION questions about programme to deal with the Guardian reports that Peter distributed and a team of POINT Nestlé’s influence over Foot and Mouth crisis. Blackburn, then CEO of Nestlé civilian volunteers trained to UK government policy. The minutes from a meeting UK and president of the Food help, when the plans were between Tony Blair and and Drinks Federation, was suddenly shelved. Graduating with Honours After years of refusing to attempts to suggest that its apply in circumstances of its what they did attempt to say debate with Baby Milk Action malpractice is a thing of the own choosing. came across poorly. When Nestlé has been urging past, though it falls silent We have had many questions came from the floor, university unions all over the when asked if it accepts the comments from students who regarding points made by country to ‘open dialogue’ devasting impact this has had have attended the debates, Baby Milk Action reps, asking with the company over the on infants and breastfeeding saying how Nestlé just didn’t what Nestlé's response was past few months. cultures. Nestlé also neglects have a defence. This response they often refused to answer We had hoped that this new to mention its opposition to from a student at Liverpool directly, making a point about approach by Nestlé might the introduction of the sums up what many have something only slightly (or not indicate a change in policy. marketing code and responds been saying “As debates go it at all) relevant which they Unfortunately it has proved to to documentary evidence of was quite poor as the Nestlé hoped to present positively. be merely a new PR tack. At present-day violations with reps presented such a poor Towards the end of the the first debate, Nestlé denials and claims that the case, or more likely they just discussion they resorted to rejected our plan to save Code and Resolutions don’t didn't have one. However interrupting your speakers!” infant lives and ultimately end Nestlé gave a public undertaking to students at Liverpool University on 12th November 2001 that the boycott (see Boycott News it would write, within the week, to José Serra, Minister of Health, Brazil, supporting the public 29). release of the government's independent monitoring report from last year. We would like the Nestlé is clearly worried report, which is understood to name and shame companies including Nestlé, to enter the public about its recruitment of quality domain. Nestlé told Baby Milk Action afterwards that writing the letter would depend on the graduates, as evidenced by approval of Nestlé Vice-President, Niels Christiansen. At the next debate Nestlé had back-tracked an interview with Peter and said that it would not call for the release of the report. We can only assume that Mr. Blackburn, Nestlé UK’s Christiansen vetoed the letter. Strengthened regulations have now been published in Brazil, we CEO.(Guardian 21 April) welcome these and hope the government will continue its independent monitoring and release the At the debates Nestlé results (also see page 8, Update 30). Boycott News 30 December 2001, Page 2 Update boycott news supplement Shanghai’d by Red Cross / Nestlé link ends We are delighted that the Nestlé sponsorship of the British Red Cross (BRC) has come to an end. At our meeting with the BRC Nestlé (reported Boycott News 29) we discussed ways in which we could work together in the future if the sponsorship was to stop. Nestlé’s new PR approach to so that you can be far away tackling its malpractice has from the annoyance of feeding included a range of glossy problems." It claims Nan £30m for a crick in the new brochures which contain uses a "unique technique to neck! its same tired denials and remove excess phosphorus in deceit. Infant Feeding in the cow's milk, so that the To boost its flagging sales world is not about to slip into Developing phosporus level is Nescafé has had a makeover- a recession and that we are World proudly close to a £30m makeover! not on the brink shows off breastmilk.” These To get a kink in a jar cost of a war - Nestlé’s efforts to promotional Nestlé an estimated £20m on otherwise, promote materials were design and another £10m the expense breastfeeding in made available to promoting it. The Sunday might have China (complete mothers in health Times (Oct 14) commented appeared with Nestlé logo clinics in “This dedication to wasting foolish.” and unhappy- Shanghai and are money does give the firm a looking mothers).