CORPORATE ADVERTISING BASED ON FALSE ESG PRACTICES AND THE VIOLATION OF INFANTS’ AND YOUNG CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO ADEQUATE NUTRITION BY THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Abstract
The article analyzes ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices in the food industry and their compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. It highlights the negative impacts of corporate advertising on the right to adequate nutrition for infants and young children, focusing on infant formulas. In Brazil, the Brazilian Code of Marketing of Foods for Infants (NBCAL) prohibits advertising products such as infant formulas, baby bottles, and pacifiers. However, marketing practices frequently violate the legislation, including the use of cross-promotion to advertise dairy compounds that mislead consumers. Companies like Nestlé and Danone promote ESG policies that emphasize compliance with NBCAL, but studies reveal strategies that disregard these norms, including illegal promotion in pharmacies and supermarkets. Although ESG is widely promoted, it often
serves more as corporate propaganda than genuine responsible practice. The article examines the public civil action filed by IDEC against major manufacturers as a striking example of these contradictions, showing how the pursuit of profit often outweighs the
protection of breastfeeding, which is essential for child development and fundamental human rights.
