by frog
One of my froggy friends recently attended a fundraising event at her grandson’s Playcentre, and was alarmed to be greeted with a table groaning with Nestle products – flavoured coffee sachets and so on.
When she asked the Playcentre parents what this was about, she learned that the company had offered a fundraising deal to the Playcentre whereby Nestle provided the centre with free products for an event, along with the chance to win $10,000 for the centre. All the Playcentre parents had to do was send in a photo of said event (depicting parents and children enjoying their favourite Nestle products?).
How very attractive it must seem to early childhood centres when their sector is being starved for resources because of Government funding cuts. And what a great tool Nestle get to use for promotion of themselves as caring corporate citizens. Photos of happy Playcentre bubs would be priceless publicity when they get challenged about their practices in other parts of the world.
Many parents today may be too young to remember that Nestle has been the subject of a major boycott since 1977 for its marketing of baby formula undermining breastfeeding in developing countries (and resulting child malnutrition). As well as the baby milk boycott (which is ongoing) groups in other parts of the world have challenged various Nestle practices: water extraction in Brazil, labour practices in the Philippines, and most recently Greenpeace’s successful “Give the Orangutan a Break” campaign targeting the use of palm oil in Nestle’s chocolate products.
Maybe John Key isn’t interested in what happens when his Government pulls much needed educational resources from our parents and babies, but my froggy friend and I are certainly alarmed at this trend.
Anyone know of similar schemes in early childhood centres around the country?
Published in Health & Wellbeing | Society & Culture by frog on Wed, August 11th, 2010
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
Documentary channel is currently screening “The Dark Side of Chocolate”. It documents the kidnapping and trafficing of children from Mali and Burkino Faso (especially) to the Ivory Coast, where they work as slaves in cocoa plantations. These plantations supply the cocoa wholesalers, who in turn supply the world’s chocolate companies – specifically including Nestle. Everyone turns a blind eye to the problem, with Nestle refusing to view the documentary. Clearly there’s something about children that Nestle just doesn’t like.
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Good comment Kev (but how do you find the time to watch TV?)
Anyway, this is about on par with the pukemaking Micky D’s support for child charities. Welcome to the Vomitarium.
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Oh, the ironies of primary schools having the Life Education trust in schools extolling the virtues of healthy eating and then sending the kids home on Friday with the compulsory box of Cadbury chocolate to sell as a fundraiser, or the secondary schools refusing to give up the softdrink vending machine as it adds $10,000 to the school coffers and the teachers have to deal with kids suffering health impacts from the softdrink.
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