to ask how many of you boycott Nestle?

[Miren]

Just noticed the stamp on the MN homepage and wondered how many of you do it.

I have for about 5 years, and even DH and DC are careful with what they choose when shopping (not been persuaded by me, they've just picked it up I guess). DH even decided to return a coffee machine bought by his DF for Christmas because it would mean buying the pods from Nestle

I do! 7yo DS is the Nestle police - if he ever sees me accidentally reaching for a Nestle product in the supermarket he'll stop me. Unless it's a mint Aero - he has decided that if we all boycott everything else, a very occasional mint Aero can be allowed to slip through the net and into his gob.

I don't. As someone who is currently living in my second developed country where formula fed babies are the majority, I can say that it isn't just nestle that employ dodgy tactics when it comes to formula. I met a guy on a weekend away in Northern Philippines who was a surfer dude at the weekends and a formula peddler by day. He had some scary stories when it came to sales pitch. He didn't work for nestle.

I mostly do, but I use Body Shop shampoo which is cheating big time. It's the only thing I cheat on though.

Yes but it's really hard to keep up to date with what products are Nestlé. I am incensed by their policy of aggressive marketing of formula in the poorest part of the world.

I had to have an awkward conversation with the HT of DDs school when they started asking for Sainsbury's Active Kids vouchers for the school (that were sponsored by Nestle) - and that was on top of the awkward conversation about Samaritans Purse Shoeboxes.

He'll be glad to see the back of me!

I have done for years and am radical with it, no connected companies etc.

I accept that my not buying Nestle wont make much difference to them but I cannot in all conscience give my money to a company that acts like they do. A Kitkat would stick in my throat. I do miss some things like Body Shop stuff and L'Oreal make the best mascara imo, but the second AR sold out to L'Oreal I stopped going there. I still find it hard to accept that a woman who was supposed to be championing fair trade sold out to the most ethically unsound company on the planet.

I have been doing this for about 15 years or so now and it isnt an issue in our house, the kids will always refuse nestle stuff. My mother thinks it is an over reaction and will still sometimes buy Smarties easter eggs or similar and say "Well its only one.." but since the kids said no thank you, she has stopped, mainly to do with wasting money than guilt but its better than nothing.

"Ethical investors" now turn for guidance to the FTSE 4 Good index, which screens company behaviour (independently I might add).

Nestle as a multinational corporation is included in the FTSE 4 good index.

here

(p.s. disclaimer I own no shares in nestle and am not employed by them either)

I should also add, I don't actually buy their products either - as we genuinely have no cause too. But are they really that bad?

Why boycott Nestle and not Kraft?

And no, you don't boycott Nestle if you have the odd chocolate bar or cereal when you fancy it.

Being principled, except for when you might fancy a kit kat (for example) is not a boycott!

Why boycott Kraft?

Because Kraft, like many other multinationals import and produce food in countries of the southern hemisphere, often at the expense of their inhabitants. This fuels their growth into massive international conglomerates and is facilitated by cost-cutting which impact severely on working conditions, social and ecological standards in these poorer countries.

Nestle probably no better (I do question the FTSE 4 good to be honest), but in the same way that McDonalds was villified in Supersize Me - Nestle is far from being the only one worthy of boycott.

I bet nearly everyone is typing on a product made by a non-unionised workforce with no labour contract working a 70 hr 6 day week

THIS!

It is very difficult to be completely ethical and still live within the realms of 'normal' society - eg I am not prepared, and neither do I have the time, to grow all of my own food stuffs and make all of my clothes.

It is not particularly viable to boycott all of the brands that commit worker abuse etc. However, Nestle has continued to refuse to address issues that other brands have taken into account. Fairtrade, fair wages, the breast milk saga, animal testing, aggressive advertising...the list goes on. Such arrogance means that they are number 1 on my boycott list, even though other areas of my life may not match up to this standard.

I think it comes down to a balance between what is right and what is easy. It's right to boycott Nestle IMO (and not that easy, but easier than boycotting every single brand that has a chequered history).

Bloody hate Nestle and haven't knowingly bought their products for over 20 years. Last month I bought some papyrus papers to cook some chicken breasts in and got home and realised they were Maggi. Gah! They are so arrogant that they haven't even attempted to change their ways. Bastards.

yabu. take it to chat

Yup...But I get confused over bottled water

I used to think I did, as a teenager and student.

But then I saw the list of all the products and companies and realised it was very unlikely that I was.

And, as I don't buy exclusively fair trade food, clothing etc, I decided that a Nestle ban was just a tiny drop in an ocean I really don't have the time, energy or money to start swimming in.

I boycott except for a particular chocolate bar I sadly don't seem to have enough willpower to do without :(

Plus boycott ALL formula companies who market aggressively.

Bugger, where did my post go?

Yes I do. I renew the list every year, even DH got involved back in the 80s.

As Mark Thomas's guest (Save the Children, maybe) said "Nestle, why are you killing our children?"

They know they are breaking the intent of the law, they choose to ignore the misery and deaths they cause because they make lots of money and can afford the fines. That and most people couldn't give a damn,

They kill kids and they steal water. Why wouldn't you boycott them?

I ignore Coca Cola too. Unilever took a while longer, but we got there. And I don't even think I am particularly political about such stuff. I just avoid the big nasties as much as I possibly can.

Is Nestle behind any of the UK formula brands? I've often wondered...

Yes, it didn't have a uk brand until a year or two ago when it took over SMA from Wyeth.

I do

Me too.