ETHICAL ISSUE:
The ethical issue that I have chosen for the take-home test is Nestle. Nestle has been put in the unethical spotlight for promoting their baby formula is lesser-developed countries. Providing free samples of the formula for just long enough to interfere with lactation caused mothers to be trapped into continuing using the formula. In lesser-developed countries as well, mothers often are unaware of the sterilization required when mixing the formula with water. The water is also often contaminated in poor countries, which leads to diseases in infants. Mothers also cannot read the languages posted on the formula containers. Nestle denies these allegations.
OPINION:
Nestle should perform some due diligence in providing their samples, to prevent infant infection and death. They are currently in the wrong. ETHICAL SUBTHEORIES:
-Kantian Ethics (Deontological)- Kantian ethics suggests that a action itself can only be good if it is intrinsically good. I think this applies incredibly well and simply, because even though the idea of Nestle’s actions in the baby food dispute may be good (Have some free baby formula!), the actions themselves are really not good at all, because they lead to very negative outcomes. The most imperative actions that Nestle could execute to be accepted as “good” by Kantian ethics, would be to still provide their formula and samples, but warn (due diligence) mothers about sterilization and how using the samples can interfere with lactation.
-Utilitarianism – Utilitarianism looks to maximize total utility (good) and minimize suffering, we want the maximum good outcomes with the fewest negative outcomes/effects. This related to Nestle’s baby formula issues because while there are good outcomes, such as free baby food, and access to nutritional formula in poor countries, there are many negative implications of these actions. In these
circumstances, it would be imperative for Nestle to minimize suffering; including infant infection, lack of sterilization, infant death, and so on. While providing infant nutrition is good, the way Nestle is doing so is resulting in more harm than good.
PREMISES FOR MY OPINION:
1. From a business standpoint, I think that Nestle has every right to continue promoting and selling their baby formula in poor
responsibility, and assuring that your products do no harm to consumers would definitely fall into that category. Nestle is not acting in accordance with simple corporate social responsibility, because their actions are harming others, which is unethical. 2. Nestle should abandon, or change their baby formula marketing
practices in order to be seen in a more positive light. Or, a public apology, such as was made by Johnson & Johnson with the
Tylenol debacle. They should do this because it is giving their company a negative reputation worldwide for being unethical, and is demonstrating that they are behaving in a somewhat unethical fashion.
PREMISES AGAINST MY OPINION:
1. Nestle should be able to continue to market their baby formula however they want, because they are not directly hurting the babies, they are providing a nutritional supplement.
Fallacies:
Appeal to ignorance: Just because they aren’t directly hurting the babies, doesn’t mean that they are actually helping them.
This argument is not sound, because it could be argued that Nestle is, in fact, harming the babies by providing the free
samples, and undermining breastfeeding. The fact that they are encouraging new mothers to use their product instead of
breastfeeding (as a source of nutrients) is demonstrating the exact opposite, because it interferes with lactation and proper nutrition from breastfeeding.
2. Nestle is not the only company that provides free baby formula samples to new mothers, if other companies are doing it too, Nestle should not be criticized.
Fallacies:
Two wrongs fallacy: Just because other companies are doing it does not mean that it is right.
That being said, other companies are also giving away baby formula in a much more ethical manner. Other companies have proper instructions and warnings on the labels, in the appropriate languages for where they are being sold (Nestle has not been as proactive). There is no support for similarities between Nestle and other companies (Mother’s Milk) that provide formula and furthermore, this does not demonstrate that these companies are not undermining breastfeeding.
If it were to come to light that Nestle was, in fact, bribing healthcare professionals and nurses to give away their free samples without warning the mothers about the sterilization, water, and care
requirements, this would prove that they are purposely harming babies for personal gain. This would directly associate Nestle with the
