Just Peace Action Committee Studies Nestlé
The Just Peace Action Committee was founded at St. Catharine, KY, in August, 2017. Our purpose is to use the power of our many voices and votes to promote justice and peace both locally, nationally, and at times internationally.
We have covered a number of issues since our beginning and our latest project is studying Nestlé’s bottled water efforts here in the United States. Nestlé’s is an international corporation based in Switzerland with offices all over the world. Our study has included videos, articles, letter writing and naming the Nestlé products purchased at St. Catharine’s.
Our research discovered that Nestlé siphons millions of gallons of water daily from many sources including those in Michigan, Florida, California, Oregon, and Maine. Nestlé makes billions of dollars per year selling their multiple brands of bottled water while paying as little as $200 per year per source to pump this water out of the ground.
Water as a resource belongs to the people, but Nestlé is using water as a commodity to sell on the open market. Not only is Nestlé depleting the water supply of these communities, the plastic bottles are also polluting the land and oceans.
Here at the Dominican Sisters of Peace, St. Catharine, KY, the committee conducted research into the Nestlé products we buy. We do not purchase bottled water but our chocolate products and coffee creamers bought through Gordon Foods come from Nestlé. We are now in the process of working with Gordon Foods to purchase chocolate products from other makers.
We sent a letter to both Nestlé’s international headquarters in Switzerland and to Nestle Waters North America in the United States stating why we are discontinuing their products here at St. Catharine’s. We have received a response from Nestle USA, Arlington, VA sharing the actions they have taken and continue to do in the areas we have highlighted.
Locally, there are 3 other religious communities we have contacted to join our efforts.
The Just Peace Action Committee
Sisters Rose M. Cummins, Juanita Carrigan, Eleanor Fabrizi, Joel Gubler, Marilyn Pierson, Joseph Leo Pietrowski