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2023/01/15

Green Feeding means healthy local and sustainable Food. Green Feeding starts with Breastfeeding which has a positive impact on our climate and environment.

Table of Contents

COP 27 – Conference on Climate Change 2022

As world leaders meet in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt for the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop 27), IBFAN is calling for restrictions on the global production and trade of  ultra-processed (UPFs) plastic-wrapped and additive-laden products. While many nutrition campaigns have focused on excess sugar, salt and fat, less attention has been paid to the industrial food processing that extends product life for global trade, denatures food ingredients and has had a disastrous impact on human health and the environment. The latest analysis shows that UPF consumption is a significant cause of premature death in Brazil….continue reading this article on IBFAN UK/Baby Milk Action website or download the PDF file to share

IBFAN-Cop-27-9Download

Existe também uma versão portuguesa da declaração do IBFAN da COP27

COP-27-IBFAN-Que-licoes-podem-ser-aprendidas-Port-2022Download

Breastfeeding is local food

Breastfeeding contributes to the prevention of global warming, protects biodiversity and conserves natural resources.  Green Feeding includes community support for exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and the addition of appropriate complementary foods for older babies.

Documents on Green Feeding

What about Baby foods?

After 6 months, baby eats first foods. Families should be allowed to make feeding decisions free from commercial pressures: for babies, toddlers and young children. Sustained breastfeeding needs support for as long as the family wants.   Breastmilk continues to be precious sources of nutrition, especially when complemented by safe and nutritious family foods, locally produced using sustainable agriculture. Home-prepared family foods are minimally processed so offer value for money. Sustainable local agriculture provides foods that are biodiverse, reliable, and culturally appropriate. Community support can be undermined by marketing and promotion of ultra-processed foods. This is the reason the International Code of Marketing is crucial.

What about UPFs?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs( are a risk for health. Giving formula in comparison to breastfeeding is giving UPF to our children. Check our News page.

Unseen-dangers-of-UPFs_2020Download

What is the Green Feeding campaign?

Green Feeding is an advocacy campaign prepared by IBFAN, GIFA and Canadian partners. It is aimed at decision-makers, parents, young people and care-givers. The objective is to raise awareness of the need to take action from birth to safeguard the health of humans and our environment:

  • Green Feeding recognises breastfeeding as a sustainable and valuable natural resource that has no negative impact on our environment: no scarce resources are used, no pollution is caused by transport, no garbage is produced by packaging, and expenditure on health costs to treat disease is reduced.
  • Breastfeeding is under serious threat from commercial practices and urgently needs to be protected, promoted and supported.
  • Green Feeding includes the introduction, after six months of age, of complementary foods that are safe and nutritious, and produced using local products and sustainable agriculture.

Support Breastfeeding for a healthier Planet

World Breastfeeding Week 2020 was dedicated to Support Breastfeeding for a healthier planet. See Green Feeding Documents below, page World Breastfeeding Week and WABA Action Folder 2020 here

Green Feeding at 3rd World Breastfeeding Conference (WBC) 2019

Slides and film from 3rd World Breastfeeding Conference (WBC) in Rio de Janeiro, Nov 2019

1) Dr JP Dadhich’s Presentation at WBC3 (20 slides)


2) Alison Linnecar’s Presentation at WBC3 (mp4)


3) Fedora Bernard’s Presentation at WBC3 (17 slides)

Climate Change on UN Agenda 2019

Between May and September 2019, global warming has turned into global heating, and climate change has become a climate emergency.

The United Nations has sounded the fire alarm and in September the 2019 UN Climate Summit calls for us all to “Commit to invest in climate action, public health and sustainable development.”

The UN Climate Summit speaks of “A race we can win”. The UN website lists examples of climate action, including food: https://www.un.org/en/actnow/

To win this race against time, we need to inform and mobilise – and we need to start at the very beginning of our lives with Green Feeding which means Breastfeeding and giving local complementary foods to our children.

Background

In 2015, IBFAN-GIFA published the brochure on Climate Change and Health advocating breastfeeding as an eco-bio-logical way to protect both our health and the health of our planet, especially in times of crisis. Downloads available in English  , French , Spanish , Russian , Italian

  • Breastfeeding is the first step in protecting human health in the short and long term.
  • Breastfeeding is the first step towards protecting the environment and preserving the planet.
  • Breastfeeding helps to save lives and relieve suffering in crisis and shortage situations that are arising as a result of climate change.

In 2014, IBFAN published ‘Formula For Disaster’. Weighing the Impact of Formula Feeding Vs Breastfeeding on Environment’. This report was updated in 2015 and is available in English, Italian and French as Alimentation artificielle – désastre écologique, it compares in detail the ecological impact of breastfeeding on the one hand, and industrial infant feeding on the other. The comparison between the two methods of feeding relates to the use of the planet’s resources (energy, metals, plastics, fuels, water and wood). While artificial feeding depletes the planet’s resources and has a heavy carbon and water footprint, breastfeeding saves energy and water and promotes not only improved maternal and child health, but also the better health of the planet.

In 2012, at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), IBFAN-GIFA prepared a poster on the theme of “The Earth is our Mother” in collaboration with WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action). Download poster and text for RIO + 20:  English, Spanish , Portuguese , French

In 1997, WABA declared the theme for World Breastfeedin Week (WBW) as “Breastfeeding – Nature’s Way” and underpined the ecological benefits of breastfeeding. In 2020, this is even more relevant and this year’s theme is “Support Breastfeeding for a healthier planet”.

For more information….