International Nestlé-Free Week has deeper connection with Guelph in 2016
In some circles, the week between Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 is International Nestlé-Free Week. During this time, supporters of the cause will boycott Nestlé candy and other products during the Halloween season. Following the past few months of interactions with the company over their water taking permits, many Guelphites are likely to participate in the annual boycott.
According to babymilkaction.org, “The Nestlé boycott first began in 1977 and led to the adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes by the World Health Assembly in 1981. The boycott was re-launched in 1988 after Nestlé failed to deliver on a 1984 promise to abide by the International Code. It has forced Nestlé to stop such practices as sending representatives dressed as nurses into health facilities and putting pictures of babies on formula labels.”
“…Guelph’s Mayor Cam Guthrie has stated in a blog post, the decision to allow Nestlé to stay is not one that city council can make…”
As the passage from babymilkaction.org suggests, the movement was popularized by new mothers who advocate for breastfeeding rather than giving new-borns formula from birth.
The idea is to avoid all Nestlé products for a week. However, focusing the boycott specifically around Halloween has the potential to put a dent in the company’s income.
At the same time as people are boycotting Nestlé products, they also write to the company demanding the change they want to see in the company’s practices. In 2015, Nestlé changed its statement of support for breastfeeding in a response to boycotters during Nestlé-Free Week to bring it into line with World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
Following the expiry of their permit to take water in the Aberfoyle-based Mill Creek subwatershed and the decision to allow the company to continue taking ground-water using the Middlebrook plant just outside of Elora, anti-Nestlé activists have pointed out that the company pays next to nothing for the water they take.
“…the Halloween boycott of Nestlé products has the potential to spread throughout the city of Guelph.”
While Guelph’s Mayor Cam Guthrie has stated in a blog post, the decision to allow Nestlé to stay is not one that city council can make, that has not stopped protesters from gathering around City Hall. On Sept. 26, protesters gathered outside a city council meeting in support of a motion by councillor James Gordon encouraging the council to formally announce a stance on the Nestlé issue.
The Nestlé water deal is mandated by the provincial government. The company is charged with a “Permit to Take Water” which ensures their water taking does not have a negative impact on the aquifer. The permit to take water does not take into account the amount of water the company draws from the ground and this is the point of contention for those who think the company does not pay enough for the water they take.
Following the city council meeting on Sept. 26 and Gordon’s motion, citizens of Guelph will have an option to voice their thoughts on the Nestlé situation at the next meeting on Nov. 7.
Until that time, the Halloween boycott of Nestlé products has the potential to spread throughout the city of Guelph.
Photo by Sapphire Liu.