Questionable Ownership

Film Recommendation

Bottled Life (2012)

The Corporate Take on Water

This admittedly disturbing documentary following the business practices of Nestle, the planet’s largest food and beverage company, with regards to how they pursue bottled water as a beverage product. As the documentary unfolds the viewer gets a glimpse of the manner in which this company exploits local environments, and corresponding governments, in the unquenchable pursuit of greater profits.

While the realization of this corporate behavior can leave the viewer unsettled, it also encourages active involvement, as an informed citizenship (and consumer) can subsequently learn to make better choices. I encourage you to give it a view.

Click on the image to learn why some chose to boycott Nestle.

Nestle’s Extensive Reach

If you would like to to know more about Nestle‘s water practices specifically, there are a number of really good articles out there that break it down, including Bloomberg‘s “Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For” and “The Privatization of Water,” by the Centre for Research on Globalization.

The nature of the debate revolves around the question of ownership when it comes to water rights. While it is undeniably an essential human need, Nestle is arguing on behalf of corporations, that companies should have the right to access public water and be able to profit from it. Who’s need is greater? You decide.