by Heidi Green
March 04, 2008

Breastfeeding is good for the earth. Need convincing? Check out this new series of posters from the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s Manning-Great Lakes Group.

Eight vivid posters make the case for breastfeeding being environmentally good. Taglines encourage viewers to think of the act of breastfeeding in a larger context. They range from the simple, brief “Breastfeeding: Carbon Neutral” and “Save Water: Breastfeed” to the lengthier, but still succinct “No water. No waste. No energy. No pollution. No irrigation. No transport. No packaging. Totally environmentally friendly.”

One poster, showing a pregnant woman on a beach with beautiful blue skies in the background, reads: “Plan for your healthy baby. Plan for your healthy world. Plan to breastfeed.” Another, showing an infant who seems to be looking at the viewer, reads “I’m helping my world one breastfeed at a time,” with the line, “Breastfeed for a sustainable future,” at the bottom.

A couple of the posters may lead to some head-scratching. For example, because the accompanying image shows an actual foot, it may take a few moments for some readers to figure out, “Breastfeeding leaves no footprint,” in spite of popular media’s use of the phrase “carbon footprint.” Also, “I’m helping my world one breastfeed at a time,” begs the question “How?” and relies on viewers to be able to answer it.

Still, these posters do a great job of moving breastfeeding from an issue of “personal choice” to one of global sustainability. In the process, they establish breastfeeding as a “green” act.

I’m not sure the posters will encourage more women to try breastfeeding. I may be wrong, but it seems as though most women who are inclined to care about environmental issues would likely try breastfeeding, anyway. What these posters might do, however, is give women a stronger sense of the importance of breastfeeding. They might also lead to women receiving more support and encouragement from their partners and others who see the posters.

It is worth noting that only two of the posters actually show breastfeeding babies. Others show exploring preschoolers in a lush, green setting, an infant bathing, a toddler’s feet on rounded stones, and more. Thus, these posters may have particular appeal for advocates who want to post pro-breastfeeding media but are constricted by a need for discretion.