Nestle: A More Evil Empire?

2003 and 2004 were very dark years in my life.  I wish I could say that I have forgotten most of what happened, but, I still experience some of the effects of the trauma that happened so long ago.  There were also some good things to come out of those years.  There is a benefit to living through hell.  You know what is and isn't a problem and you don't get too bothered by the ordinary problems of life.  You sort of get a sense of personal power.  You think that you have survived something really horrible so you can probably survive anything.  Also, things happen that give you a sense of perspective.

At one point in this time, I met with my Doctor and had to confess that I wasn't taking my medication.  I was humiliated to tell him that I couldn't afford my meds.  He was not pleased and emphasized how important it was for me to take my medication as prescribed.  He told me this shouldn't happen in Canada.  He left his country of birth because of such issues.  He phoned my pharmacy and explained the situation.  He basically negotiated a certain amount that I would pay every two weeks and that I would be able to pick up my medication that afternoon.  I don't know if it helped that we lived in a small town for this to happen.  Basically, I didn't get anything for free. I didn't get a hand-out, but I got a hand-up.  It was not lost on me that if I missed a payment, then my Doctor's ability to negotiate other such deals would be compromised.  I should have been able to figure this out on my own.  I should have been able to budget to pay, but, I just wasn't in a place to think properly and to do what was in my best interest.

This is a long prelude to telling you that I am outraged that in Canada, people are going without clean water.  This is one of those things that should never happen in Canada. I think we should all agree that all Canadians should have access to safe drinking water.  Apparently, it is very challenging to provide safe drinking water to some northern and remote communities.  However, there is a community just 90 miles away from Toronto that hasn't had safe drinking water for years.  In the community of the Six Nations of the Grand River.  The community has lived without tap water for a decade.  For washing and toilet use, a bucket is necessary.  Members of the community must drive 8 km for use of a public tap.  The water is not fit for drinking though so they must purchase water bottles.  The irony, however, is that Nestle is extracting millions of litres per day from their treaty lands in order to sell it.  It is hard to see the ethics in that one. 

If that sparks your ire, you might not want to look further into the Nestle company. 

They have been accused of aggressively marketing their baby formula and thus encouraging mothers not to breast-feed.  They sell their products with only English instructions in places where no English is spoken given the parents no clear idea of how to mix the formula correctly. 

Their mining of water throughout the world raises ethical issues.  Mostly, Nestle keeps lobbying for water to be classified as a need as opposed to a right. 

In 2008, Nestle launched an advertising campaign claiming that bottled water was the most environmentally responsible consumer product in the world.  We all know now that this is not true. 

Purina cat food uses a lot of fish caught in Thailand.  Nestle brings in migrants from other poorer countries and then the workers are fined for illegally working in Thailand.  The workers then have to keep working to pay off the enormous debt.  This is also known as slave labour.  The working conditions are so poor that workers often are pulled into water and disappear. 

Deforestation of Ghana and the Ivory Coast are the result of companies, like Nestle buying cocoa beans that are farmed illegally.   We all know that pruning protected forests is not positive for the environment. 

In the 1970s, the military government of Ethiopia seized foreign assets which meant a loss of $6 Million for Nestle.  The problem was that in 1984 and 2002 when the country was experiencing a desperate famine, Nestle refused to provide any aid to the country.  Nestle said it was the principle of the matter and they would not provide help until the $6 Million was repaid.  Years later, they accepted a settlement of $1.5 M. 

Although they denied it, Nestle did settle a class action suit in Canada alleging chocolate bar price fixing.  It was settled for $9 M. 

In 2008, all Chinese milk-based products came under scrutiny when it was discovered that Nestle had melamine in their products made in China.   Melamine can be easily mistaken for protein allowing Nestle to claim increased protein in their infant formula. 

The milk purchases from Mugabe Farms in Zimbabwe are complicated.  But, as a result of land-grabs, the US and EU both disallowed purchase from these farms.  Nestle got around this by having their headquarters in Switzerland, which is not part of the EU. 

Nestle has had several instances of mis-labeling products.  This results in practical things like allergies.  For example, it is not labeled that Haagen-Dazs contains peanut products. 

There is more instances for corporate greed triumphing over common-sense.  I never thought I would find a more evil empire than Tim Horton's. 
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