Nestle, PepsiCo Participation in Mexico Crusade Against Hunger Will Harm People's Health Charge Activists

Proceso: Editors

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Mexico City - The addition of the Nestlé and PepsiCo enterprises into the Crusade Against Hunger promoted by President Enrique Peña Nieto, shows that

"Mexico is sold to multinational companies," warned Patti Rundall, leader of the International Coalition Against Conflict of Interest.

Even worse, she said that allowing these companies to collaborate in the design and implementation of public policies poses a "risk" to peoples' health.

"They are only interested in expanding their market share even if they say they are concerned about health and about helping the government. That's a lie," said the activist in a press conference.

Rundall reminded that this scheme has already been implemented in other countries such as Brazil, but it was discontinued due to protests by social organizations denouncing the harm caused to children who consumed Nestlé products with their high contents of sugar and salt.

In Brazil's Zero Hunger and Family Purse programs introduced by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Nestlé participated in the programs, and it was reported that instead of inculcating good eating habits, the women responsible for nutritional guidelines became promoters of the company's products.

"They must not exchange traditional food for what the companies want to give, because [Nestlé products] are usually high in sugar, fat, additives and other ingredients harmful to health, so why think that the solution is in business companies and not in the people?" Rundall asked.

Junk food, she added, cannot end nor should it be used to alleviate hunger,

"the people are those who should and can influence decisions," so we felt that all that is needed is to inform people and they will act in their own best interest.

As in the case of Brazil, Rundall (who is also director of the NGO Baby Milk Action) stated that Mexico could prevent the same thing from happening if it shook off the intrusion of the businesses, something that may represent a conflict of interests.

For his part, Alejandro Calvillo, director of The Power of the Consumer, questioned that the Crusade Against Hunger would begin without having created the scientific committee that should endorse the actions; instead, there is definitely a rush to formalize agreements of cooperation with the food and beverage industry.

Not to mention that the companies interfering in the project, PepsiCo and Nestlé, represent a conflict of interests because

"public policy cannot be made with the primary industry causing obesity."

Calvillo inferred that, as in Brazil, the private sector would put their products on sale in the 25,000 Diconsa distributors, replacing hunger with obesity and with an increase in the diseases related to obesity, such as hypertension and diabetes.

Álvaro Urretra, a shopkeeper at Central Supplies and a producer of nopal, commented that the incursion of companies in the stellar program of the Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL) would be the beginning of the destruction of the nutritional traditions and livelihoods of many families.

The Crusade has barely begun yet already, he added, there is a decrease in the purchase of agricultural products, as well as a shift in food consumption because the supermarkets, with their concessionaires, are destroying the popular markets and shopping districts.

The experts felt that the emphasis should be on raising public awareness about what they consume, and in requiring from the State the proprietary disclosure of each [individual and company] involved in the Crusade Against Hunger with the goal of preventing individuals or companies from hindering this social program. ... Spanish original