In 2002, Nestlé demanded that Ethiopia repay $6 million of debt to the company even though that country was suffering a severe famine at the time. Nestlé eventually had to back down due to pressure from the public and agreed to re-invest any money it received from Ethiopia back into the country.
In 2009, it came to light that Nestlé was buying milk from illegally seized farms currently operated by President Robert Mugabe's wife, Grace Mugabe, despite the fact that Mugabe’s regime are currently sanctioned by the European Union and the United States.
In 2010, the documentary ‘The Dark Side of Chocolate’ alleged that Nestlé buys its cocoa beans from Ivorian plantations that use child slave labor. The children working at these plantations are usually 12 to 15 years old, and some are trafficked from nearby countries.
Nestlé's products include baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks.
