Oral Statement by IBFAN & GIFA on Examples of international instruments addressing obligations and responsibilities of private actors
Today, the adverse impacts of food corporations on human health are dramatic. Unregulated and massive advertising of unhealthy foods products and breastmilk substitutes is affecting billions of people. At global scale, about 40% of adults are overweight and 13% are obese, while childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. At the same time, more than 820’000 babies die annually because of suboptimal infant feeding. The burden of noncommunicable diseases associated with poor feeding practices is considerably rising among lower income countries and populations, and results in enormous financial and social costs...Therefore, we urge you to build on the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes to ensure that the future treaty enshrines marketing regulations for unhealthy products and breastmilk substitutes in order to allow people to make informed decisions about what they consume.