Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the new president of the World Economic Forum, has a long history with Nestlé – a company known for its corporate greed and scandals.
Brabeck-Letmathe argued for the privatization of water, calling it the “most important raw material” and questioning whether the water supply for the population should be privatized. A leaked 2021 Nestlé document revealed that many of their most popular products – including Maggi, KitKat and Nescafé – are full of unhealthy ingredients, despite being advertised as an everyday, “safe” choice for consumers. In low-income countries such as India, Nestlé has been accused of adding dangerously high-sugar baby food to baby food while offering healthier alternatives in wealthier regions. The Public Eye calls this a serious double standard.
Eight former child slaves have sued Nestlé, accusing the company of helping child labor on cocoa plantations in Côte d’Ivoire. Although the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in 2021, it highlights ongoing ethical concerns.
For decades, Nestlé has been extracting millions of gallons of water annually without a valid permit from the San Bernardino National Forest since 1988 and bottling it for Arrowhead, regardless of California’s ongoing water shortage. In addition, in 2024, Nestlé had to recall 2 million bottles of Perrier carbonated water due to contamination with fecal bacteria. This incident raised serious questions about their water purification and quality control practices.
Translated and edited by Hans Seckler