If you’ve lived in Latin America for any amount of time, you know that Nestlé is everywhere from instant coffee to baby formula. It’s precisely the baby formula that’s the target of International Nestlé-Free Week, which began yesterday, July 2-8 2007.

The Nestlé boycott began in 1977 as a response to unscrupulous formula marketing that undermines breastfeeding and negatively affects infant health around the globe.

The boycott is being called in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

According to the World Health Organization 1.5 million babies die every year as a result of inappropriate feeding practices. Many of these deaths occur in impoverished nations as a result of infant formula use. Despite this, Nestlé continues to aggressively advertise its baby milks in breach of international standards that were enacted in 1981. Monitoring by groups on the ground around the world shows Nestlé is responsible for more violations than any other formula company.

Via / The Guardian, Baby Milk Action