Boycotts

Boycotts of junk food and fast foods have been called for and conducted for a variety of reasons. One of the longest-running boycotts is of Nestle products. During the 1970s, consumer groups working in developing countries became concerned about the lack of breast-feeding and the increase in infant mortality. They concluded that the cause of 1.5 million infant deaths annually was unsafe (unsanitary) bottle feeding. These groups targeted Nestle, the largest seller of infant formula in the developing world. In 1988, groups such as the International Baby Food Action Network called for a boycott of all Nestle products, which has continued to this day. Those engaged in this long-running boycott believe that their actions have drawn attention to infant mortality in the developing world and that, in response. Nestle has changed some of its infant formula business practices.
Other boycotts have been organized by one business against other business. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, for instance, found that potential distributors refused to accept their products because the makers of Haagen-Dazs, a subsidiary of the Pillsbury Company, required that distributors choose only one brand to sell. Ben & Jerry’s sued Pillsbury and launched an advertising campaign against Pillsbury asking, “What is the Doughboy afraid of?” and encouraged a boycott of all Pillsbury subsidiaries, including Burger King. (The legal case was settled out of court and Ben & Jerry’s ended their boycott). In this case, publicity surrounding the court case and the boycott gained Ben & Jerry’s national visibility.
Other boycotts have been based on religious motivation. Boycotts of American fast food chains in Arab countries have been launched by those who want to protest American support of Israel. Due to these calls for boycotts, Burger King was forced to withdraw its Whoppers from a food court in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Burger King was then denounced by pro-Israel groups in the United States. As a direct result of these calls for boycotts, the McDonald’s franchise in Saudi Arabia announced that a donation of 26 cents from each burger sold would be given to Palestinian children’s hospitals.
Still other boycotts have been organized by those concerned with worker rights. For example, in 2001 the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIM) launched a national boycott of Taco Bell, one of the largest buyers of Florida tomatoes, demanding that the company address problems of the workers in the Florida tomato fields. This groups organized the Taco Bell Truth Tour, which drove across the country to the Taco Bell headquarters in Southern California. About 75 workers went on a hunger strike. The company settled with the farm workers in May 2005. In another example, some universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ireland have boycotted Coca-Cola products for concerns over human rights violations at its plants in Colombia.
Specific boycotts have been urged due to particular practices of fast food and junk food businesses. Kentucky Fried Chicken has been boycotted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for its cruelty in processing and slaughtering chickens. The boycott gained visibility when actress Pamela Anderson joined PETA’s boycott. In 2004, PETA released a video of cruelty to chickens at Pilgrim’s Pride, one of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s suppliers in West Virginia. As a result of the video, several employees were fired and Pilgrim’s Pride launched a training program for its employees on how to treat animals.
Many other boycotts have been recommended. Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation (2001), urged a boycott of all fast food, soda, and junk food operations in schools, no matter how much corporate money is offered to schools to sell or advertise their products at the schools and at school functions.
Finally, boycotts have been called for due to international politics. In 2003, when American-led coalition forces attacked Iraq, opposition members in the Indian Parliament demanded a countrywide boycott of American businesses, such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and McDonald’s.