Demonstration at Nestlé (UK) HQ and Body Shop outlets

Croydon: 11:00 to 12:00 on Saturday 20th May 2006

Click here for a map or paste the postcode CR9 1NR into http://www.streetmap.co.uk/

Click here to register (not compulsory) and to request leaflets. Click here for our leafleting guidelines.

The address is St. George's House, Park Lane, Croydon.

If you cannot make it to Croydon, why not demonstrate outside your nearest Body Shop? Body Shop is being taken over by L'Oreal - Nestlé own 26.4% of L'Oreal. We have a special leaflet for use at the Body Shop. Click here to download or contact us if you would like us to send you copies.

After the demonstration you may wish to attend a 'big feed' event, being organised by Little Angels at 13:00 to promote breastfeeding as the 20th May is also the end of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week. Click here for details.

Nestlé is responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly's marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company (click here for IBFAN's latest global monitoring report). The demonstration takes place the day before the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Nestlé takes the lead in undermining government implementation of the Code and subsequent Resolutions.

This is why Nestlé is the target of an international boycott. The boycott helps to stop specific cases of malpractice (see the codewatch section), but Nestlé still refuses to bring its policies and practices into line with WHA requirements. There has been a Public Hearing about this at the European Parliament. UNICEF has set out how Nestlé must make changes. Nestlé loses debate after debate with Baby Milk Action. Yet Nestlé refuses to change, and instead launches public relations campaigns claiming it is doing nothing wrong.

Demonstrating can have a significant impact. Film from our 2004 demonstration was recently shown on the BBC Money Programme, helping to expose Nestlé malpractice.

National demonstrations in 2003 were reported on regional and national radio bulletins and the demonstration at Nestlé (HQ) in Croydon was filmed by Swiss TV. Click here for photos and movies. During the course of the demonstrations, Nestlé announced it would no longer label its complementary foods for use before 6 months of age. World Health Assembly Resolution 47.5 stated in 1994 that complementary feeding should be fostered 'from the age of about 6 months'. Although 9 years late, this is an important change in policy. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that Nestlé had the nerve to claim it was 'taking the initiative'. Nor, unfortunately, is it surprising that monitoring of Nestlé practices on the ground demonstrates it is breaking its promise in some countries.

Demonstrations are effective at putting pressure on Nestlé and exposing its malpractice. Let's try to make the demonstration at Nestlé (UK) HQ bigger in 2006. We hope to see you there. Contact us if you would like additional information.

Registration for this event is now closed.