Formula shortage: Summary

This article talks about the families in the United States that were stripped away from
baby formulas for their babies due to food safety violations in one of the biggest
producers of baby formulas- Abbott Nutrition. It highlights the stories of desperate
moms that are in need of specific baby formula. Either they have to travel to borders in
Canada, buy for unreasonable prices from resellers, or even water down the formula
which may lead them to wonder if their babies are getting enough of the needed
nutrients

The majority of the women affected were women in the Latino-majority city. These
formula shortage rates are the highest in the country with nearly 60% less supply
available than normal. The fact that these women are working in low-wage jobs with
little to no time for breastfeeding makes the situation even scarier.

All of this is not just a logistic challenge or a supposed worker shortage, as Atkin
implies, it is a capitalist problem. Revealing the sad truth that 100% of formula
consumed by American babies is concentrated in just three companies- Abbott,
Gerber, and Reckitt. From which the infected company Abbott is accountable for 40%
of the market. Since the factories were used to stable demand, they produced just at the
level that would sell. And with this monopoly controlling the entire market, there was
no chance for other producers to replace them.

‘‘Abbott does not fear consumers will leave‘‘. The monopoly realizes that they are the
ones that have power so they do not fear any competition or the government.
Government regulations have been helping and they have been the cause of these
monopolies holding up. Many other formulas manufactured outside of the US are
banned, even though they might be healthier since they don't contain any cheap
additives. The former president of the US even banned Canadian imports of their
products. This was done also in the hopes of limiting Canadian sales to China, which
are largely due to the tainting scandal in 2008.

The shortage of baby formulas is also a political problem. As Atkin mentions the
Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act that would spend 28 million dollars
in hopes of fighting the shortage, but only the democrats backed the bill. The
republicans were clearly against it just because of the attempt to shift the blame on Joe
Biden.

And with all of these factors above, you are left with powerful monopolies making
massive profits. That's not the only thing, they are left in power controlling the whole
baby formula market. Leaving the babies and families in the hands of an often unstable
supply chain.

Atkins's long-term solution is switching from the money-hungry capitalist system to

the socialist system that actually cares more about its people than just profit.
This might be a difficult step to make but we can start making some preventions even
now. Issuing orders to baby formula manufacturers to sell their products just as set
prices is a start. In the end, no one should worry about shortages just because of a
monopolies factory mistake. Capitalism only cares about one thing at that is profit.
Therefore, in this system, you will stay on your own if you don’t decide to make
changes.