How evil are Nestle, and whatcha gonna do about it?

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All the time I'm geting told how Nestle are getting kids addicted to their babymilk, taking money from poor African countries, and stealing peoples souls in the North Pole. This makes me think - "Hmm, maybe I'd better stop buying tasty Nestle stuff (Polo's being the obvious example) and buy something helthier and less immoral." I then go away and, after a bit of searching around, find out that Nestle arn't as bad as al that, and that people are just getting on their anti-globalisation high horse.

Now, anti-globilisation is all well and good (no nike or adidas or gap), but I've heard some people come out with an enormous amount of crap about all this (no Body Shop? Just cos they're big? Calm down, dear) and so certainly am not going to rely on ill-referenced websites to guide me in the right direction. I ceratinly will hop aboard the anti-Nestle bandwagon if the wagon is just and pure, but if the wagon is just being bitchy I don't think I'll bother.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 25 January 2004 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this the "ILX in 1978" thread, just under a secret title?

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

So I just heard a bunch of people died in Guyana because some cult dude... Jim something...

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, thats what I thought, see. I was under the impression that all of Nestles evils were commited in the early 70's, and now they'd patch up and made peace and started being responsible people. But nowhere I look or people who I know seem to know about all this - they insist that 25yrs agos crimes are still worth me not being Polos now.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

whatever happened with the baby milk things, nestle still guilty of replacing indigenously produced foods with less healthy, more expensive processed food. But so have a lot of food multinationals.

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

well someone help me organize my concert for Bangledesh? thanx!

― jack cole (jackcole), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

People still boycott Nestle? seriously? I mean, they did majorly fuck up during the whole bottlefeeding product fiasco in Africa, but that's an amazingly long grudge for people to hold.

Then again, last time I remembered driving, I still refused to go to Texaco stations because of the whole racial discrimination incidents from many years ago... and Exxon for obvious reasons. So, hey, never forgive never forgot for some I gues.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

A good friend of mine refuses Polos when we come out of the pub at lunch. When I ask why, she rolls her eyes at me.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 25 January 2004 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

and then she lights up another cigarette perchance?

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 25 January 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Exactly. Just cos she's a hypocrite doesn't mean she's wrong, though.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 25 January 2004 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

indeed

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 25 January 2004 12:13 (twenty-two years ago)

new ilx tagline!

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 25 January 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to know somebody who worked at Nestle and quit because of the EVIL. It exists still, hidden from the eyes of man, but I can't be arsed to justify my buying or non-buying choices to you lot so fuck it.

― Al_Ewing, Sunday, 25 January 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I boycott Nestlé products in protest at the Swiss's neutrality in WWII.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

(I do actually not buy Nestlé products, and though it started as an ethical shopping thing, it has kind of just turned into a habit that helps me cut down the unmanageable number of choices I face at the sweet shop).

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:07 (twenty-two years ago)

they died for your sins, N.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Are Polos actually made out of babies? If they are then maybe I will pursue my boycott more vociferously.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

they died for your tins [of evaporated milk].

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

As far as I'm concerned, boycotting certain brands is just opening up a big can of hypocrisy worms, and I don't want that every time I'm hungry.

― Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

hungry?

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you tried them with salsa?

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:42 (twenty-two years ago)

But hypocrisy worms can help with the soil in the yard. Of course, you've to deal with your plants' hypocrisies.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"You told me you were fair-minded BUT I SAW YOU ABUSING THAT POOR ROSE."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 January 2004 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Ferns: "All those fucking trees littering the ground with their 'seeds'"

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 26 January 2004 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

nestle is GE, but what isn't? i like cadbury chocolate better anyway.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Monday, 26 January 2004 04:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Mmm, now I'm thinking of the Cadbury factory again. And those light Pinkie bars or whatever you all made me buy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 January 2004 04:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember Jarvis told people to boycott Nestle in 2001 and I thought, "yeah good on him" but then Pulp played a concert on behalf of a cancer charity that still tortures primates in outdated, usless experiments and I figured that he was a bit hypocritical. Especially since he then did a BT advert. Mind you, I love Pulp and think he must have a had a point somewhere.

I don't buy Nestle because of the old thrid world thing. Though I stopped buying their stuff so long ago I'm not even sure how up to date this is anymore.

― C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 26 January 2004 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i refuse to buy Coors b/c the Coors Family are right-wing wackos whose money is responsible for Raygun and Bushco.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:12 (twenty-two years ago)

and it tastes like pee.

― Orbit (Orbit), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Right, so ILX's ruling on this matter is "Don't bother with the boycott, go eat your polos." Is this correct?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

ILX's ruling is "don't drink pee".

― Orbit (Orbit), Monday, 26 January 2004 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, the UK ILXORs.. most of us Yanks (or at least Yanks who haven't been to the UK in a very long time or ever) have no idea what the fuck "polos" are.

*raises hand*

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Do they have anything to do with Rolos?

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 26 January 2004 06:02 (twenty-two years ago)

A polo is a mint with a hole in the middle - but its teh fact that its nestle is the debate here, not whether or not they're nice.

But they are. How can something be wrong when it tastes so good?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 26 January 2004 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

well of course it's ALWAYS easiest to boycott products that taste/smell/sound like piss/shit/pigeon-vomit. ergo, i don't mind not buying Coors products or not watching Fox.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 26 January 2004 09:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Normal Polos are rubbish, though. Spearmint and fruit Polos are nice.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 26 January 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

lifesavers.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 26 January 2004 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Polos are genius. 'I know, let's exploit the fact there's a hole in the middle, effectively giving you less product, cheaper to make and kids will be in awe!' i used to like the fruit ones.

i fear hypocrisy/double-standards is unavoidable with regards to boycotting brands.

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 26 January 2004 10:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I wonder if the cost of raw materials saved in the hole do actually make up for the increased complexity of the production process. I don't wonder this very hard.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Most British Students' Unions still boycott Nestle, mainly due to the secrecy behind many of their practices and the complete lack of acknowledgement that they ever did anything wrong. I believe the baby milk thing doesn't happen any more in the same way, though there is still a lack of decent local labelling on their products in Africa. But yes, a lot of it is still highly knee jerk, but as nick says, it cuts down on those choices.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 26 January 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

i used to love Yorkies but can't remember when i last had one.

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Were you scared off by the 'NOT FOR GIRLS' clarification?

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I last had a Yorkie when they stopped making almond ones. also stupidest ad campaign ever = telling just over half the world that this choccy is not for them. Duh.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Forbidden fruit is stereotypically attractive to women. According to admittedly outdated and discredited tomes such as the Bible.

The Kit-Kat issue is often the first inklings of a burgeoning political consciousness. Principles vs compromise in action.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Nestle are still bad news. They control most of the coffee roasting that goes on in Europe and, along with Kraft-Suchard-Jacobs (who own Maxwell House and Kenco) have managed to buy EU laws that forbid any coffees from being sold in Europe unless they are roasted in Europe. So all of those poor coffee bean farmers in the developing world can't set up their own local roasting plants at home, they have to sell their beans to roasters in Europe, who set the price at whatever Nestle and Kraft think is fair. They exercise similar controls over cocoa bean growers.

Various Fair Trade organisations are working to try to get these laws changed and if you shop at the Co-op, or Oxfam, or your local Amnesty shop, you can help by paying slightly over the odds for coffee or chocolate that helps people climb out of the poverty trap.

Course, it's all a matter of priority. Like someone said above, Jarvis doesn't think that vivisection is as big a deal as Fair Trade. I had a huge argument with a guy from Greenpeace once who claimed that all Fair Trade advocates were raping the world's natural resources by encouraging people to buy products that come from far away lands instead of buying stuff that's made locally (this cutting down on pollution). You have to pick your battles.

― trishyb, Monday, 26 January 2004 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Save the thrid world! Don't eat polos!

― the river fleet, Monday, 26 January 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Throw them to drowning Ethiopians instead!

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

(1984 schoolyard joke chic)

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

You know the saying: a fool is someone who does nothing because he can only do so little. Boycotting may seem insignificant as an act, but unless you're an world political leader or Nestle CEO, that's one of the few things you can actually do to try to change things. Cynicism doesn't lead you anywhere.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 26 January 2004 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

On the US side, Altoids, the curious strong mint, is owned by Philip Morris (as is Kraft Foods).

― Leee Majors (Leee), Monday, 26 January 2004 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I last had a Yorkie when they stopped making almond ones. also stupidest ad campaign ever = telling just over half the world that this choccy is not for them. Duh.

http://www.glico.co.jp/pocky/pocky/gifs/mens/img01_i.gif

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 26 January 2004 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Nestle is more despicable than Phillip Morris certainly.

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Monday, 26 January 2004 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

i ate a Drifter earlier. oh the (tasty) guilt.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i was about to say i would renounce nestle the minute they change up the classic simplicity of the old favourite crunch bar wrapper but i thought i should check first and the website tells me crunch in the usa is a hot rap chocolate for ballers only! and a hot beat! CLASSIC

― prima fassy (bob), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.nestlecrunch.com/home.asp?snf=1&mp=

ballin' your eyes out

― prima fassy (bob), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

sweet mother of god this is the best thing i have ever seen

shaq sez: GET CRUNCHY. VERY CRUNCHY

― prima fassy (bob), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

OMFG LOL

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I had a huge argument with a guy from Greenpeace once who claimed that all Fair Trade advocates were raping the world's natural resources by encouraging people to buy products that come from far away lands instead of buying stuff that's made locally (this cutting down on pollution). You have to pick your battles.

beware of the 'made locally' argument. a lot of products that you assume are manufactured just up the road have their sources further away than you might think. i live just up the road from cadburys, but i'm willing to bet that they don't grow their cocoa in birmingham.

a lot of companies will import products rather than have them locally produced, because its cheaper to do so (no worker rights, easier to exploit those with little means of defending themselves legally) - for example, and going off on a tangent rather, a large number of chickens sold in the uk are from the far east - hence the rather larger prominence of 'bird flu' articles on news bulletins than you might expect from the uk's rather euro-centric (and america-centric, if that's a real word) media.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

hmm..that was quite a big tangent.

of course, nestle don't make chickens. not to my knowledge. but, from what i've read, there's a certain amount of exploitation in the cocoa-growing industry. so, baby milk or otherwise, there's reason to dislike them.

i'll go and find some evidence to back myself up, if you would like some.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

general information about the chocolate industry and some of the reasons you might want to consider buying fair trade: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1272522.stm

more of the same, slavery in the ivory coast, where nestle (and other chocolate manufacturers) purchase much of their cocoa.

http://www.garstangfairtrade.org.uk/chocolate_and_slavery.htm

comments on nestle in particular:

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/profiles/food_supermarkets/nestle/nestle1.html

nestle suing the ethiopian government:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,862570,00.html

an addendum to the last one - nestle eventually settled for 1.5 million pounds, and donated the money to famine relief. i believe that this was due to extensive public pressure rather than any altruistic tendencies on the part of the company - but you make up your own mind..

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

of course, nestle don't make chickens.

..but if they did, they'd proabably be the best chickens in the world.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, I'm sure all the folks here in Seattle, you know with the obvious abundance of coffee bean plantations that plaster Washington state, have that choice of civic duty.

(Point being: usually Fair Trade vs. non-Fair Trade issues stand on products where there is no local abundance of said product. That said, perhaps, that's different depending on the product, but last I checked, the U.S. isn't exactly overflowing with coffee bean plantations even in the South, much less the North.. just to choose an example... so my briefer pointer is: that Greenpeace guy = mentalist)

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 20:30 (twenty-two years ago)

You don't have to drink coffee.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Well I've been researching Nestlé for months and they are still most definitely bad. The boycott has been going on for 22 years, but that doesn't mean Nestlé's getting any better! It still breaks the international code decided in 1981 by 118 countries. It stated that (among other things), women who wished to breastfeed should not be dissauded by promotions undermining the message that breast is best. They continued to put up posters in hospitals (a big no-no) until they were forced to stop. There is so much to write about them, but basically they're still evil. Give up your polos, aeros, munchies, nescafé etc!!
If you want, go to http://www.babymilkaction.org, http://www.ibfan.org or http://www.lionra.org/boycott
But seriously, whatever I say, make your own mind up!! Nestlé's side of the story and answers (http://www.milkaction.nestle.org) are so completely different from babymilkaction's that there's no middle ground. Either you are anti them or not!

― Kirsty H, Thursday, 12 February 2004 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Either you're for babies or you're against them.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 12 February 2004 01:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I like those pre-made Toll House chocolate chip cookie squares (just tear 'em off and put 'em in the oven), so I guess I'm anti-baby.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 01:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm gonna support Ghirardelli's -- THE PEOPLE'S CHOCOLATE!

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

mmmm, chocolate: http://www.montezumas.co.uk/

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 12 February 2004 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

i cant believe theyre still evil!!

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 11:05 (twenty years ago)

Tuomas's point above is completely ON.

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

They control most of the coffee roasting that goes on in Europe and, along with Kraft-Suchard-Jacobs (who own Maxwell House and Kenco) have managed to buy EU laws that forbid any coffees from being sold in Europe unless they are roasted in Europe.

wow, that's fucked!

re. the greenpeace guy who was all, the pollution involved in bringing over cofee, sugar, etc, means that fair trade => still EVIL. is insanely great. kind of: all of human history was wrong!! or maybe, more charitably: bring back sails! down with engines!

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

"Sorry about the chemical weapons testing on infants, everyone." (Not actually true, presumably.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

The scare began in June when a sample of liquid baby milk produced by Nestle showed traces of isopropyl thioxanthone, a photographic chemical known by the initials ITX.

[plotting... analyzing... ]
[plotting... analyzing... ]
[plotting... analyzing... ]

― do knut (donut), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

seven years pass...

I think this man is the devil himself

http://www.bitterwallet.com/nestle-dont-think-water-is-a-human-right/64369

― Elvis was a hero to most but he never her (ledge), Friday, 19 April 2013 08:27 (thirteen years ago)

yeah i saw this. his rationale is eye-popping

― pssstttt, Hey you (dog latin), Friday, 19 April 2013 08:33 (thirteen years ago)

he is the end of the world

― Winningest franchise club of the day (imago), Friday, 19 April 2013 22:16 (thirteen years ago)

whatcha gonna do about it?

― davey, Saturday, 20 April 2013 20:38 (thirteen years ago)

he's probably a fifty year-old man too, aye

― tsarnaev paleface (imago), Saturday, 20 April 2013 21:52 (thirteen years ago)

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