GLOBE Response.pdf

The Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) at Deakin University submitted a response to the Review of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement (MAIF Agreement). The submission expresses significant concerns that the current MAIF Agreement is not effective in achieving its aims, citing its voluntary nature, inadequate scope, and insufficient accountability. GLOBE recommends making the agreement mandatory, expanding its scope to include toddler milk and industry-wide coverage, and improving its capacity to deal with social media marketing practices. The submission also suggests that the international code should be legislated in full to support healthcare professionals' awareness of appropriate infant feeding practices and that industry-wide restrictions on marketing breastmilk substitutes should apply across all platforms. Additionally, GLOBE recommends implementing a monitoring tool to identify breaches of the code and holding both advertisers and publishers accountable for upholding a legislative approach that restricts marketing of breastmilk substitutes online. The submission disagrees with the current complaints process, citing its reliance on civil society response, lack of transparency, and minimal information on the time and process taken to address complaints, as well as the absence of penalty enforcement for breaches. Overall, GLOBE strongly disagrees with the effectiveness of the MAIF Agreement and its processes, advocating for significant changes to align with international best practices and protect breastfeeding and infant feeding practices in Australia.