IBFAN, the global network that protects breastfeeding and child health, has called on UNESCO* to end the “UNESCO x Nestlé Global Youth Grant Scheme “Youth Impact.”[i]
Over the past four decades, IBFAN has led the criticism of Nestlé’s marketing of commercial baby foods and has provided monitoring information to UN agencies and governments, many of whom have ended collaborations with Nestlé.[ii]
The extent of the harm this company has posed to human and planetary health has become increasingly evident in recent years, with Nestlé’s poor standards in food safety, nutrition, digital marketing, plastic packaging, greenwashing, mono-cropping, deforestation, land-and-sea-grabbing, labour rights etc. 50-70% of Nestlé’s 2000 brand portfolio is deemed to be unhealthy and Nestlé shareholders refused a call to speed up change at its 2024 Annual Assembly.[iii] Nestlé’s refusal to follow World Health Assembly Resolutions on infant feeding undermines breastfeeding, a resilient practice that provides food, care, immune support and protection including during the worst of emergency conditions. The company also undermines confidence in and use of bio-diverse family foods by flooding markets with poor quality ultra-processed snacks, drinks and foods.[iv]
That the UNESCO education collaboration focuses on Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action is especially problematic. The ‘halo’ effect of high profile collaborations has clear financial value and works on many levels, building trust, distorting curricula and diverting attention from anti-social actions.[v]
Nestlé is facing criminal proceedings about its bottled water business in France in November, with charges of illegal waste disposal and contamination linked to pollution by plastic bottles. This follows a 2 million Euro fine for illegal treatment of its mineral water brands. The 3 billion Euro consumer fraud lasted over 15 years and Nestlé paid the fine to avoid legal action.[vi] IBFAN feared that the award event, planned for 18th September in Paris but called off, possibly because of transport strikes in France, could have been used to influence the criminal proceedings in this court hearing.
Nestlé has been running its Healthy Kids programs in schools since the early 1990s and has admitted that its key purpose is to ‘improve the company’s reputation’ and ‘legitimately communicate its socially responsible intentions to adults.’ Education materials are a more complex problem than straightforward product advertising because they blur the boundaries between advertising, marketing and independent information.
IBFAN will be meeting UNESCO to discuss our concerns and the principle that education should be free from undue political and commercial influence.
Notes
*UNESCO is the United Nations organization that promotes cooperation in education, science, culture and communication to foster peace worldwide.
[i] https://unesco.nestleyouthentrepreneurship.com. https://www.nestle.com/media/news/nestle-unesco-global-initiative
[ii] UNHCR uses ‘due diligence’ and abandons US$ 5 million deal with Nestlé https://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/19570
[iii] https://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/media/action-on-salt/WASSHShareAction-Summary-Report-(1).pdf KitKat owner Nestlé fights off push to cut back on unhealthy products
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/apr/18/nestle-vote-sugar-salt-fats “The coalition claimed Nestlé gets 75% of its global sales from products containing high levels of salt, sugar and fat…”.
https://www.fooddive.com/news/nestle-investors-lessen-dependence-on-unhealthy-foods/710290/ Food Dive14 Mar 2024
[iv] United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Feeding Profit. How food environments are failing children. Child Nutrition Report 2025, Report Brief, UNICEF, New York, September 2025. https://www.unicef.org/reports/feeding-profit
[v]https://www.corpwatch.org/sites/default/files/Tangled%20Up%20In%20Blue.pdf
[vi] Nestlé ‘watergate’: French mineral water brands face trials over illegal treatments and microplastic pollution FoodBev Media
Rafaela Sousa 13 August 2025 www.foodbev.com/news/nestl%C3%A9-watergate-french-mineral-water-brands-face-trials-over-illegal-treatments-and-microplastic
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