Pinkwashing, II

The Komen Foundation, the powerhouse in the industry, boasts of more than 150 corporate partnerships.  (Susan G Komen for the Cure, 2009)  With major corporate partnerships as a source of their funding, one has to wonder about the nature of the research that they fund.   Komen’s stated mission is to “save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.”  (Susan G Komen for the Cure)  Despite the billions invested, the statistics are alarming.  The American Cancer Society estimates that 40, 000 will die of breast cancer in the United States in 2009.  (ACS, 2008)  In 1991 43,583 women died of breast cancer.  (Centers for Disease Control, 1994)  Of course, 3,583 more women per year is a cause for celebration, but considering the vast amounts of money pouring into research, one might expect more than an 8% drop in the mortality rate over 18 years.

Organizations such as BCA and the Susan Love Foundation are looking to move beyond a cure and toward prevention.  Many believe that the links between cancer and the environment or cancer and diet need to be more fully explored.  However, with Komen setting the research agenda, it seems unlikely that research that goes against corporate interest would be funded.  For example, Ford and BMW partner with Komen, often running promotions that they will donate money for every car test driven.  It is hard to imagine that Komen would fund studies regarding car exhaust, air quality and cancer, especially considering that Ford is a member of their Million Dollar Elite program for companies who have committed to donate a million dollars per year.

So, by the way, is Yoplait. (Susan G Komen for the Cure , 2009)  Even with their removal of rGBH from their products, they are still under the General Mills umbrella.  Questions have been raised about the long term health effects of processed food and the obesity is a known risk factor for breast cancer.  (National Cancer Institute, 2004)  General Mills also houses brands of processed food including Hamburger Helper, Totino’s Pizza Rolls and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.   Large corporations cannot be expected to fund projects that could potentially threaten revenue streams.  There is no profit potential in researching the benefits of raw fruits and vegetables.  If a corporation cannot patent broccoli, what would the motivation be to research its effectiveness in cancer prevention?  Yet products are promoted with the well-known pink ribbon, leading good people to believe that they are making a difference with their pocketbooks.