Memorandum submitted by Nestlé
UK
As you will be aware, Nestlé has a strong
legacy of investment and trade in the developing world having
built our first factory in Latin America in 1921. Today, 45% of
our factories and 48% of our employees are based in developing
countries. Nestlé is dedicated to a long-term strategy,
putting business development above short-term returns. As a result,
we have become fully integrated into the social, cultural, and
economic life of the countries in which we operate.
Equally important to our core business is our
commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility
which is reflected through our concept of Creating Shared Value—a
belief that in order for a company to create value for its shareholders
over the long term, it must bring value to society as a whole.
This is reflected across our supply chain and in the many programmes
and projects that Nestlé support, including those that
work toward attainment of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)
Nestlé regard the MDGs as important objectives
for improving the state of the world and in addressing the most
pressing needs of people particularly in developing countries.
We fully support all 8 Goals and believe by creating international
and local partnerships with governments and NGOs, we can measurably
improve framework conditions.
In particular we feel, and pertinent to this
inquiry, that the issue of improving maternal health is crucial.
Women comprise a large percentage of our workforce, are often
of child-bearing age and can, in certain circumstances and cultures,
be less educated than their male counterparts and with a lower
social status.
We believe that if we are successful in our
long-term investment approach and our own goal of creating sustained
shareholder growth, we can help improve women's health throughout
our supply chain. With the inextricable link between mother and
child, this can often lead to a brighter future for children and
young people—healthy mothers are in the best possible condition
to raise healthy babies.
Nestlé are active in working to not only
improve mothers' nutrition, but also, in partnership with public
health organisations and NGOs, to help them deal with health and
hygiene issues. Below we have described a number of initiatives
which showcase community programmes that Nestlé support
to improve maternal health. These include specific projects which
help address the problems of HIV/AIDs and access to clean water—two
critical issues known to affect high maternal and infant mortality
rates in the developing world.
Senegal
— Nestlé collaborated with NGOs,
ENDA Tiers Monde and the International Association for Maternal
and Neonatal Health in Senegal, to establish 20 centres to improve
nutritional and hygiene status of mothers and their infants under
5 years of age.
— Pregnant women without family support
receive counselling, education and medical care in the centres,
including information on HIV/AIDS and women's health issues.
— In total, the programme provides
health care information to 3,500 families, improves the nutritional
status of more than 2,000 infants and young children, and promotes
understanding of HIV/AIDS among nearly 15,000 persons.
Venezuela
— More than 1000 Nestlé employees
in Venezuela participate in both payroll contributions and volunteer
time to support medical and educational institutions in 11 communities.
— Orphanages and special needs schools
benefit, as well as Alzheimer's patients and those suffering from
cancer or malnutrition.
— In addition, through a new nutrition
education programme developed with the nutrition foundation Bengoa
and entitled "Santa Cruz de Aragua is learning how to eat
well", Nestlé support a specialized team to monitor
the nutritional state of children in schools.
— It is hoped that the programme will
impact on the community and improve the nutritional knowledge
and capacity of school children to detect and correct any problems
in their nutritional status.
— Meanwhile, "Project Health and
Family"—the construction of dining halls for poor children,
feeding programmes, and nutritional assessments—has also
benefited more than 6,000 people throughout Venezuela.
Bangladesh
— Nestlé supports the Impact
Foundation, a local NGO involved in implementing a series of nutrition
education programmes in the Chuandanga District of Bangladesh.
As a result, more than 1,500 mothers, government health workers
and community leaders have participated in these programmes.
— We also support a series of nutrition
workshops in the mountainous Chittagong Hill region.
Kenya
— Nestlé sponsor the Community
Nutrition Award, launched in 2004 and given annually to women's
groups that have implemented practical programmes to combat hunger
and malnutrition using locally available food resources.
— The award seeks to recognise women
in unique positions as community health gatekeepers not only in
family food preparation and management but also as community food
growers and producers.
— In addition, the Nestlé Nutrition
Institute Africa supports community nutrition and public health
through local scientists and the funding of studies which look
at feasible interventions in micronutrient deficiencies and nutrition
in ill and low-birth weight babies. More than 300,000 babies benefit
annually.
Ethiopia
— In 2003, Nestlé began a partnership
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHGR)
to address the water needs of more than 200,000 Somali refugees
and local people in Eastern Ethiopia.
— The partnership, based on financial
support as well as on-going technical assistance from Nestlé,
resulted in a multi-faceted water system including rehabilitated
wells, an improved pumping and purification station connected
to a 22-km pipeline, new water taps in adjacent villages and a
new dam to capture rainfall.
— During 2005, Nestlé began
the process of handing over the long-term operation and maintenance
of the system to local water authorities.
Philippines
— Water Education for Teachers (WET)
is a non-profit organisation and publisher, supported by Nestlé
Waters since 1992, that provides education resources to facilitate
and promote the awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship
of water resources.
— Project WET workshops and programmes
have trained over 400,000 teachers, and reached several million
children in over 20 countries worldwide.
Nigeria
— Partnering in 2002 with the International
Federation of Red Cross Society CIFRC in Nigeria, where more than
five million people are infected with HIV/AIDs, Nestlé
has devised a partnership programme which has led to:
— The provision of anti-retroviral
drugs and treatment of employees and their dependents.
— The training of approximately 2,640
peer educators to provide peer-led awareness raising.
— 5,000 families reached through the
Home Based Care Programme.
Alongside the various programmes and projects
outlined above, Nestlé is also respected for its strong
focus on infant and child nutrition in the developing world. We
recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and
believe that breastmilk is the best way to start a baby out in
life. However, for mothers who either cannot or choose not to
breastfeed, Nestlé formula products offer a safe, nutritious
alternative.
Underpinning all of our nutrition work is a
strict adherence to implementing the World Health Organisation
(WHO) Code in developing countries around the world.
In summary, we strongly believe that businesses,
alongside other stakeholders, have a key role to play in bringing
about positive, sustainable changes in developing countries. Learnings
from the past indicate that community based partnership solutions
which respond to local needs, and harness local know-how and knowledge
have the best chance of impacting on the MDGs.
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