Withdraw Dr. Wendy Johnson-Askew, VP of Corporate Affairs Nestle US, from the "First 1000 Days" Panel at the Better City Bootcamp
The Issue
CivicAction has chosen to include Dr. Wendy Johnson-Askew, VP of Corporate Affairs for Nestle US, in a panel on prenatal and early childhood nutrition. The Better City Bootcamp is intended to be a broad and open discussion of civic affairs and challenges, with prestigious speakers from the public and private sector, including Ontario's Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory. A full agenda and summit details are available here: http://civicaction.ca/summit/
Marketing of infant formula and baby foods has been clearly shown to increase their inappropriate use. Nestle and other food product companies have sought to subvert and co-opt conversations about infant and child feeding in order to protect and increase their market share.
This is in direct conflict with the stated policy goals of the Government of Ontario through the Healthy Kids Strategy as well as the direction of the recent Health Canada recommendations on infant feeding, which focus on breastfeeding and the transition to open cups and table foods when introducing solids.
Allowing Nestle a platform to further their marketing goals under the guise of civic responsibility conflicts with every best practice in this area and undermines the very goals of the panel itself. Nestle’s marketing goals are in direct conflict with those of public health experts and health care providers. This invitation must be withdrawn.
More about CivicAction and their partners and Board of Directors: http://civicaction.ca/who-we-are/
References:
Health Canada. (March 23 2013) Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Birth to Six Months Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/index-eng.php (April 9, 2015)
Health Canada. (May 27 2014) Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from 6 to 24 Months Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/index-eng.php (April 9, 2015)
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (February 24, 2014) Backgrounder: Ontario's Healthy Kids Strategy Retrieved from http://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2014/02/ontarios-healthy-kids-strategy-1.html (April 9, 2015)
[iv] Breastfeeding Committee for Canada. (2011). Breastfeeding Committee for Canada Baby-Friendly Initiative Integrated 10 Steps & WHO Code Practice Outcome Indicators for Hospitals and Community Health Services: Summary (the Interpretation for Canadian Practice). Retrieved from http://www.breastfeedingcanada.ca/documents/2012-05-14_BCC_BFI_Ten_Steps_Integrated_Indicators_Summary.pdf (April 9, 2015)
[v] IBFAN-ICDC. Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2014: Evidence of Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions compiled from January 2011 to December 2013 (Executive Summary) Retrieved from http://www.ibfan-icdc.org/files/1__Preliminary_pages_5-2-2014.pdf (April 9, 2015)
Petition Closed
The Issue
CivicAction has chosen to include Dr. Wendy Johnson-Askew, VP of Corporate Affairs for Nestle US, in a panel on prenatal and early childhood nutrition. The Better City Bootcamp is intended to be a broad and open discussion of civic affairs and challenges, with prestigious speakers from the public and private sector, including Ontario's Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory. A full agenda and summit details are available here: http://civicaction.ca/summit/
Marketing of infant formula and baby foods has been clearly shown to increase their inappropriate use. Nestle and other food product companies have sought to subvert and co-opt conversations about infant and child feeding in order to protect and increase their market share.
This is in direct conflict with the stated policy goals of the Government of Ontario through the Healthy Kids Strategy as well as the direction of the recent Health Canada recommendations on infant feeding, which focus on breastfeeding and the transition to open cups and table foods when introducing solids.
Allowing Nestle a platform to further their marketing goals under the guise of civic responsibility conflicts with every best practice in this area and undermines the very goals of the panel itself. Nestle’s marketing goals are in direct conflict with those of public health experts and health care providers. This invitation must be withdrawn.
More about CivicAction and their partners and Board of Directors: http://civicaction.ca/who-we-are/
References:
Health Canada. (March 23 2013) Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Birth to Six Months Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/index-eng.php (April 9, 2015)
Health Canada. (May 27 2014) Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from 6 to 24 Months Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/index-eng.php (April 9, 2015)
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. (February 24, 2014) Backgrounder: Ontario's Healthy Kids Strategy Retrieved from http://news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2014/02/ontarios-healthy-kids-strategy-1.html (April 9, 2015)
[iv] Breastfeeding Committee for Canada. (2011). Breastfeeding Committee for Canada Baby-Friendly Initiative Integrated 10 Steps & WHO Code Practice Outcome Indicators for Hospitals and Community Health Services: Summary (the Interpretation for Canadian Practice). Retrieved from http://www.breastfeedingcanada.ca/documents/2012-05-14_BCC_BFI_Ten_Steps_Integrated_Indicators_Summary.pdf (April 9, 2015)
[v] IBFAN-ICDC. Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2014: Evidence of Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions compiled from January 2011 to December 2013 (Executive Summary) Retrieved from http://www.ibfan-icdc.org/files/1__Preliminary_pages_5-2-2014.pdf (April 9, 2015)
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Petition created on April 10, 2015