Cuddling cows
OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them.
The reports, by 25 experts from 12 countries, including paediatricians, public health specialists, scientists, economists and midwives, finds that the commercial milk formula companies "exploit parents' emotions and manipulate scientific information to generate sales at the expense of the health and rights of families, women and children".
They mention the growing role of social media, with industry-paid influencers sharing the difficulties of breastfeeding as preludes to formula milk marketing, and industry-sponsored parenting apps with 24/7 chat services that enable product placement, offer free samples or deals, and promote online sales.
