Cost of coffee.indd - RISC

of shortfalls that occur (see Nestlé’s Public Relations Machine Exposed).
Mike Brady, Campaigns and Networking Coordinator, conducted a quick survey of campaign
supporters using an on-line questionnaire and has analysed the first 100 responses. He said:
“Nestlé will use the Fairtrade mark as it uses its other token support of good causes, to try
to divert criticism of its malpractice. Its problem is there is a great deal of overlap in the
community that supports the boycott and Fair Trade. In our quick survey, 90% of boycotters
also buy Fairtrade products, many of them actively promoting the Fair Trade campaign. Nestlé
won’t have much joy in countering the boycott. Only 3% thought Nestlé was pursuing the mark
because it cares about coffee growers and 93% said it was for public relations purposes. We do
worry about Nestlé’s impact on the Fairtrade mark, however, as 50% said they would view the
Fairtrade mark differently and look more closely at other companies with products bearing the
mark. Only 17% of our respondents realised the mark relates only to the one product that bears
it and not the way the company deals with all suppliers. A few comments support giving the
mark to any product that complies with the Fairtrade criteria regardless of the malpractice of
the company involved.”
Baby Milk Action has asked the Fairtrade Foundation to make it much clearer what the mark
does and does not signify and to remove the mark from Nestlé if it uses it to try to divert
criticism from its widespread malpractice. The Fairtrade Foundation says in a Question and
Answer sheet on its website posted on 7 October:
“The Fairtrade Mark is only given to individual products and not to companies. The Mark
indicates that the product Partners’ Blend has complied with the internationally agreed
standards for Fairtrade certification. It does not refer to any other product marketed by the
company. This product has undergone exactly the same certification process as all other
Fairtrade products whether marketed by multinationals or smaller companies. The Fairtrade
Mark guarantees consumers that those producers have received a fair and stable price for their
product. The Mark is not an endorsement of any company or its activities…
“Of course we acknowledge that many Fairtrade supporters have other concerns about this
company’s practices. We also recognize that bringing about change in the behaviour of
multinationals requires a variety of strategies and approaches…
“We are not asking people to change their position on the boycott of Nestlé products, which
aims to change the way the company promotes breastmilk substitutes around the world. We
naturally respect the right of consumers to decide which products they purchase.
“While some campaign groups use boycotts as a way of achieving their aims, the Fairtrade
Foundation’s specific role is to engage with companies that are prepared to adopt Fairtrade
standards and certification for particular products. They are different approaches, but with
the same aim of winning positive change in the way business operations impact on people in
developing countries.
“Many people have supported both campaigns until now, and they will still be able to do so, as
they can choose from 18 other Fairtrade certified instant coffee products.”
Nestlé will pay 8 pence per kilo extra for the beans used in Partners’ Blend (33 pence rather
than 25 pence). A 100 gramme tin of Partners’ Blend will retail for £2.69, which is 40 pence
more than Nescafé Gold Blend.
Notes
1 The Guardian reported on 1 September 2005: “What do Nike, Coca Cola, McDonald’s and
Nestlé have in common? Apart from being among the world’s most well-known brands,
they happen to be the most boycotted brands on the planet. That finding came from this
week’s global GMIPoll, an online opinion poll that surveyed 15,500 consumers in 17
countries. Nestlé emerges as the most the most boycotted brand in the UK because of what
respondents consider its “unethical use and promotion of formula feed for babies in third
world countries.”
2 Nestlé won a global internet poll for the world’s ‘least responsible company’ coinciding with
the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2005. Nestlé received 29% of the votes.
This was more than twice that of joint second Monsanto and Dow Chemicals (of Bhopal
infamy), each on 14%.
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