Corporate political activity of the baby food industry: the example of Nestlé in the United States of America

Tanrikulu, Hacer; Neri, Daniela; Robertson, Aileen; Mialon, Mélissa

doi:10.1186/s13006-020-00268-x

Cited by 18 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…Through WIC, the government purchases more than half of all milk formula sold in the US market, and provides 'nutrition services' to~1.9 million infants [23,124,125]. In 2014, Nestlé alone spent an estimated US$160, 000 lobbying in relation to the WIC programme [43].…”

Section: Contesting Standards In Bi-lateral and National Policymaking Arenasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lobbying to influence key government programmes and policies Extensive political activities by Nestlé in the US have been documented [43]. In 2014, Nestlé spent an estimated US$160,000 lobbying in relation to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programme, which provisions free formula for low-income families, and for which companies 'bid' to secure preferred provider status in state-level contracts, with bids often at or below cost [43]. In 2015, Mead Johnson called for narrowing the eligibility rules of the WIC programme [121].…”

Section: United Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These corporations are reportedly using intensive and sophisticated marketing techniques to reach mothers, and to grow their markets on a global scale [39][40][41]. Despite these developments, surprisingly little attention has been paid to understanding the globalization of this industry, nor the market and political strategies Big Formula uses to expand, sustain and protect its markets, with some exceptions [42][43][44][45]. The role of the wider 'baby food industry', including dairy and other ingredients suppliers, advertising and public relations agencies and so on, throughout the supply chain, is also not well understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

et al. 2021

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Background The global milk formula market has ‘boomed’ in recent decades, raising serious concerns for breastfeeding, and child and maternal health. Despite these developments, few studies have investigated the global expansion of the baby food industry, nor the market and political practices corporations have used to grow and sustain their markets. In this paper, our aim is to understand the strategies used by the baby food industry to shape ‘first-foods systems’ across its diverse markets, and in doing so, drive milk formula consumption on a global scale. We used a theoretically guided synthesis review method, which integrated diverse qualitative and quantitative data sources. Results Global milk formula sales grew from ~US$1.5 billion in 1978 to US$55.6 billion in 2019. This remarkable expansion has occurred along two main historical axes. First, the widening geographical reach of the baby food industry and its marketing practices, both globally and within countries, as corporations have pursued new growth opportunities, especially in the Global South. Second, the broadening of product ranges beyond infant formula, to include an array of follow-up, toddler and specialized formulas for a wider range of age groups and conditions, thereby widening the scope of mother-child populations subject to commodification. Sophisticated marketing techniques have been used to grow and sustain milk formula consumption, including marketing through health systems, mass-media and digital advertising, and novel product innovations backed by corporate science. To enable and sustain this marketing, the industry has engaged in diverse political practices to foster favourable policy, regulatory and knowledge environments. This has included lobbying international and national policy-makers, generating and deploying favourable science, leveraging global trade rules and adopting corporate policies to counter regulatory action by governments. Conclusion The baby food industry uses integrated market and political strategies to shape first-foods systems in ways that drive and sustain milk formula market expansion, on a global scale. Such practices are a major impediment to global implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and other policy actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. New modalities of public health action are needed to negate the political practices of the industry in particular, and ultimately to constrain corporate power over the mother-child breastfeeding dyad.

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Section: Contesting Standards In Bi-lateral and National Policymaking Arenasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: United Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

et al. 2021

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“…Second, government agency is undermined by powerful corporate lobbying, and limited by the process of law, which gives many legal rights to corporations [ 155 ]. Third, corporations actively misinform and confuse consumers, thus negating education campaigns [ 156 ], and undermine public health research [ 157 , 158 ].…”

Section: Agencymentioning

confidence: 99%

The future of human malnutrition: rebalancing agency for better nutritional health

et al. 2021

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The major threat to human societies posed by undernutrition has been recognised for millennia. Despite substantial economic development and scientific innovation, however, progress in addressing this global challenge has been inadequate. Paradoxically, the last half-century also saw the rapid emergence of obesity, first in high-income countries but now also in low- and middle-income countries. Traditionally, these problems were approached separately, but there is increasing recognition that they have common drivers and need integrated responses. The new nutrition reality comprises a global ‘double burden’ of malnutrition, where the challenges of food insecurity, nutritional deficiencies and undernutrition coexist and interact with obesity, sedentary behaviour, unhealthy diets and environments that foster unhealthy behaviour. Beyond immediate efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition, what must change in order to reduce the future burden? Here, we present a conceptual framework that focuses on the deeper structural drivers of malnutrition embedded in society, and their interaction with biological mechanisms of appetite regulation and physiological homeostasis. Building on a review of malnutrition in past societies, our framework brings to the fore the power dynamics that characterise contemporary human food systems at many levels. We focus on the concept of agency, the ability of individuals or organisations to pursue their goals. In globalized food systems, the agency of individuals is directly confronted by the agency of several other types of actor, including corporations, governments and supranational institutions. The intakes of energy and nutrients by individuals are powerfully shaped by this ‘competition of agency’, and we therefore argue that the greatest opportunities to reduce malnutrition lie in rebalancing agency across the competing actors. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems and individuals illustrates our conceptual framework. Efforts to improve agency must both drive and respond to complementary efforts to promote and maintain equitable societies and planetary health.

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“…These emphasise the importance of—and may generate anxieties and calls for intervention into—the three year window from conception to 2 years of age 14. At the same time, Nestlé conducts and funds research into breastmilk composition to inform the development and marketing of its infant formula and follow-on products for toddlers 15. Its marketing implies—and allows parents to imagine—that these products are the equivalent of or better than breastmilk or home prepared foods, with mothers made to feel anxious about the quality of their breastmilk.…”

Section: Framing the Body’s Nutritional Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultra-processed foods and the corporate capture of nutrition—an essay by Gyorgy Scrinis

Scrinis

2020

BMJ

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Corporate political activity of the baby food industry: the example of Nestlé in the United States of America

Cited by 18 publications

References 23 publications

Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

The future of human malnutrition: rebalancing agency for better nutritional health

Ultra-processed foods and the corporate capture of nutrition—an essay by Gyorgy Scrinis

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