Dole Leads the Industry in Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CR&S) as well as Wellness

With a global brand that reached into every customer segment, Dole leads by example.  While most foodservice operators know Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit, Dole as a produce industry trailblazer in corporate social responsibility initiatives and nutrition education and research is a role that grows daily in stature, substance and awareness.

Dole Integrates CR&S with Business As Usual
When Jim Dole planted his first pineapple in East Oahu, Hawaii, he was guided by a vision of a company that supplied high quality fruit, while fostering responsible agricultural practices and employee welfare. Today, Dole Food Company is a leading food industry brand, renowned for its fresh, frozen and packaged lines of fruits and vegetables. Dole is also a multi-national company that has developed and nurtured deep roots in the countries and communities where its fields and manufacturing plants are based.

When establishing its agricultural and manufacturing operations in underserved communities, Dole improves the local standard of living by investing in the social and economic infrastructure. These investments take the form of repairing roads, and building housing, schools, and hospitals.  In the prism of its Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability program, Dole’s definition of success is creating the foundations for a self-sustaining and independent community. Pursuing its CR&S goal, Dole has certified farms employing over 30,000 workers according to SA 8000 – a global certification that assesses, monitors and influences social accountability of companies and their suppliers in labor areas including health and safety, freedom of association, wages and working hours.

Keenly aware of the role of sustainability in global welfare, Dole has also adopted ISO 14001, an international preferred standard for measuring and evaluating environmental management systems, ranging from purchasing decisions to waste management to air and water emissions. Dole sustainability efforts also extend into agricultural, manufacturing, packaging, distribution and office administration practices.

Dole is proud to report their sustainability program is working. In 2009, Dole conservation measures in its Asian operations accounted for a 15% reduction in water usage, a 7% reduction in electricity, and an 8% reduction in steam.  In 2010, projections call for biogas to supply 81% of the energy requirement of one of Dole’s two plants. In 2011, methane gas from wastewater will replace 15% of the fuel oil requirement in its Philippines operation, while reducing CO2 emissions by 20%.

Domestically, Dole saves nearly 7 million kilowatt hours per year, thanks to energy-saving equipment installations, wastewater energy efficiencies and lighting upgrades at its Atwater, CA facility.  In farming operations, pesticide usage is strictly tracked, and soil and water quality and plant nutrition are closely managed. To broaden the influence of these initiatives, outside growers contracting with Dole are required to observe the same corporate responsibility and sustainability practices.

As it grows worldwide, Dole recognizes an increasing impact on global economies, communities and the environment. The Dole Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability programs make certain that Dole’s global presence is a positive and beneficial one. For more information on our programs, visit us at http://www.dolesustainability.com.

Subhead:         DOLE Foodservice Products Follow the Health Track
Across its corporate branches, Dole is united in the commitment of leading the industry in nutrition research and education. In a world of confusing health messages, foodservice operators can rely year round on Dole to supply fruit quality products that facilitate and promote good nutrition and offer fresh-tasting goodness.

Dole’s wellness commitment dovetails the goal of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  To promote good health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reverse the prevalence of weight gain and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity, the Guidelines can be summed up as follows: balance calories (enjoy your food, just eat less); increase consumption of fruits and vegetables (they should cover half of the plate); decrease consumption of sodium and drink water instead of non-nutritive beverages.

Foodservice operators and menu planners can take advantage of diners’ desire to eat more healthfully by adding more fruits and vegetables to the menu. Strategies can be as simple as increasing the fruit and vegetable portions, or reducing the size of the starch and protein. On the other end of the spectrum, operators can design new dishes that focus on fruits and vegetables as the center-of-the-plate.

With a broad line of Fresh Frozen and Packaged Fruits from Dole Packaged Foods, menu planners can easily and innovatively add interest and appeal throughout the meal. At www.dolefoodservice.com, you can find product information and expert support to create dishes – such as Warm Spinach Wraps with Chicken ‘n’ Peachesand Fire-Grilled Pineapple Gorgonzola Salad – for the health-conscious diner.

According to the National Restaurant Association and the 1,500+ chefs they survey while researching food industry trends, child nutrition is no longer a concept, but a culinary theme.*  Gone is the children’s menu of chicken nuggets, French fries and ice cream. Now, kids will be choosing from more diverse and sophisticated fare.  For operators planning ahead, the outlook calls for

1 Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
2 Fruit/vegetable children’s side items
3 Gourmet children’s dishes
4 “Mini meals” (smaller versions of menu items)
5 Children’s entrée salads

For further tutoring on what today’s kids expect when dining out, check out the “Kids Speak Out on Kids Menus” video posted with the Dole video product tutorials.

* National Restaurant Association, 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast, “What’s Hot” Chefs Survey (2011).

The year 2012 may be the turning point for healthy dining. If you haven’t taken a look at the DOLE Foodservice product line recently, it’s time to revisit the industry’s leading supplier of quality packaged and frozen fruits, and the foodservice operator’s Fruit Solutions Partner. From DOLE Fresh Frozen Fruits and Chef-Ready Cuts to DOLE Pineapple Tidbits to individually-portioned DOLE Fruit Bowls® All Natural Fruit in 100% Fruit Juice, DOLE Foodservice develops and markets natural, healthful fruit products that fit consumer demands and today’s dining trends.  At www.dolefoodservice.com, operators can find the products, recipes and expert support to develop dishes and menus that satisfy the flavor and nutrition demands of the health-conscious diner.