Alice, You wrote,
"In this most recent one (post) I sense a good deal of frustration and wonder
whether you are feeling that no one is listening to you."

I think people are listening.

and you wrote,
"What I do not see and where I feel helpless, is what can be done to prevent
this." [people profiting from ownership of human genome, ie., human milk
components]

This ownership has been the result of researchers access to human milk.  The
key is to deny access to human milk until rules and regulations are such that
human milk is no longer considered a gold mine for the plucking.  That means
that HMBANA and breastfeeding organizations need to address this issue publicly
and privately.  And as far as I know, this issue has not been addressed.
Rather than writing the infant formula industry (protesting their avoidance of
the Code) write HMBANA or a breastfeeding organization asking for their policies
on this issue and what they are actively doing to circumvent the situation.

Alice, you wrote,
"Can you suggest some strategies for action on this?"

Yes.
1.  I believe that it is a mistake to focus on the infant formula industry as
the big, bad, evil enemy.  One of the best propaganda techniques is to make
everything the fault of the "enemy."  How can we bring about change?  Viewing
the infant formula industry as the enemy, hasn't worked and won't work.  The
question has to be is WHAT DO WE DO that makes this industry win bigtime.  I
believe that breastfeeding advocates have avoided discussions of infant formula
risk.  I think we need to speak out about the risks of infant formula.   Let
the consumer know the facts.  Let's not assist the infant formula companies in
hiding these facts and only discuss benefits of breastfeeding.

2.  How we get information.  Any organization spends time informing its
members about the issues that are important to it.  What information you receive
and who presents at conferences is important.  The group that decides what is
heard ultimately determines what is believed to be true in any organization.
Thus, people get to hear what an organization wants them to hear.  It can be a
positive or negative mechanism depending on the group that is making those
decisions.  Thus, participation in those organizations you support is important.

3.  Stay informed.  Who are the companies in the infant formula industry?
For example, Dannon in the USA is connected to its parent the Danone Group,
maker of infant formula, violater of the WHO Code.  We are an international
community, we (Americans) can not assume that just knowing information from the USA
is the only information we need to know.

I think they are simple suggestions and they will get results.  We hold
people and organizations accountable for their actions, for their ethics.
Breastfeeding advocacy has the power to change views.  Quite simply, we focus on our
own power to influence mothers one at a time;  a ripple becomes a wave, a wave
becomes a tidal wave.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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