La Leche League (LLL) and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) joined together today in celebration of World Health Day 2008. The theme chosen by the World Health Organization for World Health Day 2008 is Protecting Health from Climate Change, and LLL and WABA put together a statement showing how breastfeeding protects both health and the environment. In particular, the statement notes how:

~ Unlike formula-feeding, breastfeeding requires no manufacturing plants
~ No packaging for breast milk is needed
~ Both corn- and soy-based formulas require heavy use of farmland for feeding, grazing and harvesting
~ The livestock sector generates significant greenhouse gas emissions and is a major source of land and water degradation
~ Because nursing mothers are often menstrual period-free for many months, they (1) contribute to slowing the population growth through natural child spacing, and (2) do not use sanitary products and thus save money, resources, and landfill space
~ Formula preparation in the home requires containers and fuel consumption to heat and sterilize water

In addition to the ways in which breastfeeding benefits the environment, it is quite clear how breastfeeding helps protect both the health of the child and the mother. It may not seem obvious at first, but breastfeeding goes a long way in “protecting health from climate change”!

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