Manufacture Breastmilk in a Lab? Consider the Implications and Alternatives: Gabrielle Palmer to Peter Greaves
Dear Peter
Thank you so much for this initiative.
Did you read the recent report in The Guardian (14/11/20) about Bill Gates (BG)' plan to manufacturer breastmilk. Could there be a legal case made that this is gross misnomer? As you know breastmilk is tailor-made for each individual child with constant adaptation of nutrients and anti-infective factors according to the child’s changing needs and environment. Is there anyone out there who has the scientific and legal skills to take this on? Might UNICEF take responsibility for this?
Sadly this BG plan confirms my cynicism. Who is going to make money out of this? Let's challenge our sick culture, like your heroine Greta. Why not propose that breastfeeding women are entitled to pay? Currently in Covid 19 conditions in the UK, there is constant discussion of the need for footballers, actors, baristas and all manner of deserving workers to be entitled to pay from central government funds. Delivering this most fundamental public health intervention is an act of high responsibility yet it is still ignored and undervalued. Women in all countries rich and poor still have to make conflicted decisions about feeding their babies, besieged as they are by mass marketing and manipulation, general ignorance and cultural prejudice. The western perception (and creation) that breastfeeding is problematic makes it so and this mass psychological state, like witchcraft, triggers the problems that leads women to abandon breastfeeding.. There is still way to go to fulfill the original goals of the Innocenti Declaration one of UNICEF’s star initiatives.
If payment systems could be achieved globally, there could be a major redistribution of wealth that could ease family poverty, transform societies and make a huge input to reducing the carbon footprint. This could be one of the ’new green jobs’ that politicians talk about. A vast source of wealth is already there in women's breasts, it is the most carbon neutral food and medicine, yet it is destroyed and discarded, like the forests and rivers. We have destroyed the entitlement to use this wealth and BG is helping himself, in the guise of altruism. Donor breastmilk is rightly differentiated from a mother’s milk because it is second best, yet a commercial salesman is going to nab the ‘brand' and promote a fake product with impunity. Why not take out a patent and at least ban the use of the term ‘breastmilk’ for anything other than women’s own milk? Is this possible in international law? Or national?
Aid agencies (and some governments) have demonstrated how money paid directly to mothers can improve child health because women tend to spend money more wisely than men. Feminist economics have been discussed and written about for decades (e.g. Waring M 1988) and yet the world marches on in the same old way, to its own destruction. Mothers are separated too soon from their infants and hand them over to other low paid and exploited women because they have little choice and are pressured to do so. Accommodating breastfeeding mothers flexibly in the workplace is still a rarity. Child carers are underpaid, or even unpaid because this vital task has no status. Countries like China sacrificed their workplace support systems and transformed from a pro-breastfeeding society to an artificial feeding one (egged on by the companies) all in the cause of 'wealth creation’. Now, along with the USA, they can boast of the largest carbon footprints in the world. Is this real wealth? Taking breastfeeding seriously (not just a side ‘women’s issue') could lead to action that would be both green and feminist; it could improve global health dramatically and save billions in health costs. Vitally it could reduce the amount of single use plastic and fuel involved in this ever-expanding industry. Manufacturing stuff on a scale that far exceeds genuine need would has to be challenged now. I’m well aware that this is no easy task, but take action like this or our grandchildren will die in the burning heat and smogs of the late 21st century.
A friend just called one of my letters to him, a jeremiad, maybe this is one, but I’m sure you can bear it, Peter.
So any ideas about the legal aspects of calling a man-made product ‘breastmilk’?
Warm greetings
Gay
Thank you so much for this initiative.
Did you read the recent report in The Guardian (14/11/20) about Bill Gates (BG)' plan to manufacturer breastmilk. Could there be a legal case made that this is gross misnomer? As you know breastmilk is tailor-made for each individual child with constant adaptation of nutrients and anti-infective factors according to the child’s changing needs and environment. Is there anyone out there who has the scientific and legal skills to take this on? Might UNICEF take responsibility for this?
Sadly this BG plan confirms my cynicism. Who is going to make money out of this? Let's challenge our sick culture, like your heroine Greta. Why not propose that breastfeeding women are entitled to pay? Currently in Covid 19 conditions in the UK, there is constant discussion of the need for footballers, actors, baristas and all manner of deserving workers to be entitled to pay from central government funds. Delivering this most fundamental public health intervention is an act of high responsibility yet it is still ignored and undervalued. Women in all countries rich and poor still have to make conflicted decisions about feeding their babies, besieged as they are by mass marketing and manipulation, general ignorance and cultural prejudice. The western perception (and creation) that breastfeeding is problematic makes it so and this mass psychological state, like witchcraft, triggers the problems that leads women to abandon breastfeeding.. There is still way to go to fulfill the original goals of the Innocenti Declaration one of UNICEF’s star initiatives.
If payment systems could be achieved globally, there could be a major redistribution of wealth that could ease family poverty, transform societies and make a huge input to reducing the carbon footprint. This could be one of the ’new green jobs’ that politicians talk about. A vast source of wealth is already there in women's breasts, it is the most carbon neutral food and medicine, yet it is destroyed and discarded, like the forests and rivers. We have destroyed the entitlement to use this wealth and BG is helping himself, in the guise of altruism. Donor breastmilk is rightly differentiated from a mother’s milk because it is second best, yet a commercial salesman is going to nab the ‘brand' and promote a fake product with impunity. Why not take out a patent and at least ban the use of the term ‘breastmilk’ for anything other than women’s own milk? Is this possible in international law? Or national?
Aid agencies (and some governments) have demonstrated how money paid directly to mothers can improve child health because women tend to spend money more wisely than men. Feminist economics have been discussed and written about for decades (e.g. Waring M 1988) and yet the world marches on in the same old way, to its own destruction. Mothers are separated too soon from their infants and hand them over to other low paid and exploited women because they have little choice and are pressured to do so. Accommodating breastfeeding mothers flexibly in the workplace is still a rarity. Child carers are underpaid, or even unpaid because this vital task has no status. Countries like China sacrificed their workplace support systems and transformed from a pro-breastfeeding society to an artificial feeding one (egged on by the companies) all in the cause of 'wealth creation’. Now, along with the USA, they can boast of the largest carbon footprints in the world. Is this real wealth? Taking breastfeeding seriously (not just a side ‘women’s issue') could lead to action that would be both green and feminist; it could improve global health dramatically and save billions in health costs. Vitally it could reduce the amount of single use plastic and fuel involved in this ever-expanding industry. Manufacturing stuff on a scale that far exceeds genuine need would has to be challenged now. I’m well aware that this is no easy task, but take action like this or our grandchildren will die in the burning heat and smogs of the late 21st century.
A friend just called one of my letters to him, a jeremiad, maybe this is one, but I’m sure you can bear it, Peter.
So any ideas about the legal aspects of calling a man-made product ‘breastmilk’?
Warm greetings
Gay
From Peter Greaves
ReplyDeleteDear Gay,
Not a jeremiad, because it points to exciting possibilities. Tom by the way tells me he is going to include your letter, as a response to mine, in the XUNICEF News...
I had read the Guardian report, and was horrified. I’m sure I have seen other critiques (in the Lancet?) but can’t recall where. The very idea of manufacturing breastmilk is a total nonsense. If Bill Gates thinks this is a possibility he obviously has no idea about what breastmilk is. Perhaps that is why his Foundation has promoted the so-called BMS Call, which the IBFAN Counter-Call has criticised so effectively.
Breastmilk is a biological product made by the breasts of women – I don’t think it necessary for this purpose to distinguish between a mother’s milk for her own baby and a donor’s milk – they are both breastmilk. But I don’t know how that can be established legally. I’m sure it must be possible!
I think your proposal that breastfeeding women should be paid is brilliant – but it will take a lot of work to become the norm!!
Cheers, Peter
From Tewabech Bishaw
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Is this true?? If so how tragic and heartbreaking!
I feel it is urgent and important that a strong coalition of partner organizations including xunicefers, UNICEF, WHO, Save the Children USA, UK, Sweden, Norway, UNIFEM, and other Child Friendly Organizations led by UNICEF and WHO get together and create a global movement to lobby and stop this absurdity before it goes too far. It is scary!
In this time and age wealth, greed, and might are continuing to increasingly dictate global norms and standards of behavior. It is important to have a strong UN that can mobilize Civil Society, Civic Organization and related bodies to get together and create a body that can serve as a moral authority to control human behavior in the best interest of Humanity and the Protection of Our Planet Earth!,
Just sharing my thoughts,
Tewabech
From Janet Nelson
ReplyDeleteI find the exchange worrying as well as right on the dot in terms of the types of policies that should logically be put into place, but tragically have little chance of being so - at least at this particular time. The fact that the Code is being threatened is clear evidence that there are strong forces pushing in just the opposite direction. And the feminist movement, which is largely dominated by the West, is more concerned about glass ceilings than about child care - which I also find unfortunate. The fact that some women have only two weeks of maternity leave in the US is criminal, and should be loudly criticized by the AMA as well as feminist groups, but I don’t hear any such outcry. With globalization, the US has become even more dominated by the big corporations than before, and a Biden administration won’t be able - and perhaps doesn’t want - to change that.
prun...@babymilkaction.org
ReplyDelete2:19 PM (1 minute ago)
to Peter, me, Gay
Thanks for sharing this exchange - and for offering to post our piece on the Sunsetting of the Code.
Wonderful letter Gay. Can I copy to our website? We don’t yet have a clear response to the lab grown milk - just a link to previous articles about it
It would be great to have something that pull all the important issues together including the legal ones. But all so complicated.. The Observer piece was so so horrible I don’t want to share it.
During our meeting last week with senior WHO staff over the Sunsetting of the Code, we asked about the internal COI within WHO with the example of BG and the Lab grown milk. All three on the call were all very embarrassed and tried to diffuse it by saying that the investment was just from BG - one person not the BMGF and that the BMGF is very embarrassed about it.
Thanks again all
Patti
Patti Rundall
IBFAN Global Council