Current Newsletter Print Version - Dole Sustainability

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CORPORATE
RESPONSIBILITY
& SUSTAINABILITY
NEWSLETTER
Issue 5
©Dole/Laurent Vautrin

EDITORIAL
Sylvain Cuperlier,
VP of Worldwide
Corporate Responsibility
and Sustainability
In our past editions, I spoke about several important
projects in which our CR&S Department is actively
involved: the implementation of an IT tool
supporting the Company in consolidating metrics
measuring our worldwide performance on key
sustainability subjects and the review of our supply
chain management monitoring when it comes
to CR&S related issues. First concrete results are
expected towards the end of this year.
In the meantime, I am pleased to provide you, in
this 5th edition, with new CR&S initiatives going on,
thanks to the unwavering support of our worldwide
CR&S team.
When writing this newsletter, I was impressed by the
number of different locations in which Dole received
CR&S exposure over these last months. From
Canada to Germany, the Philippines to Ecuador, the
Netherlands to the United Sates or Costa Rica to
Peru, this virtual travel is just another example that
CR&S is part of our DNA worldwide.
You may be surprised to see that our CR&S team
recently interacted with some important people,
like Michael Sommer, the head of a trade union
organization representing 87 million workers as well
as Bill Clinton, former President of the United States.
In fact, our team is in contact with many
different actors, including our workers and their
representatives, independent farmers, civil society
organizations, customers, governments, the media,
academics, etc.
You will find in the “Did You Know” section more
details regarding some of the multi-stakeholder
initiatives we are involved in and learn about
who we talk to and work with when it comes to
sustainable agriculture.
In addition to being an open company by sharing
views with our stakeholders, Dole also seeks to
be a transparent company, particularly with end-
consumers who are increasingly interested in
“knowing the story behind the product”. To this end,
I am also pleased to share with you in the “Who’s
Who” section, an interview with Dole Europe’s
Communications & Marketing department. The
Department recently launched Dole-Earth, a new
web platform aimed at providing European end-
consumers with CR&S related information regarding
the farm in which their bananas were produced.

WHAT’S
NEW?
Mr. Sommer, accompanied by Dole and
COSIBACR representatives
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MEETING WITH OXFAM GERMANY
Following the January publication of a report � on working conditions in the Ecuadorian
banana industry by Oxfam Germany, our CR&S team visited Oxfam in Berlin to discuss
findings and talk about achievements as well as the future challenges to be taken up by
the Ecuadorian banana industry.
The meeting was also a good opportunity to provide Oxfam with more information on the
Dale Foundation, since the original report forgot to mention this important organization
which is a partnership between Dole and our independent producers.
FIGURE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNIONISM
VISITS A DOLE PLANATION IN COSTA RICA
On April 11, Michael Sommer, head of several confederations of trade unions, visited our
Zurquí farm in Costa Rica to become more acquainted with banana production.
Since 2002, Mr. Sommer has been President of the Confederation of German Trade
Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund - DGB). In 2010 he was also elected President of
the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the main international trade union
organization. DGB has 6 million members and ITUC 87 million.
During his visit, Mr. Sommer was accompanied by representatives from COSIBACR, the
Coordination of Costa Rica Banana Unions.
COSTA RICA: A DOLE-OWNED PINEAPPLE FARM
RECEIVES FAIRTRADE CERTIFICATION
In June, Fair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade produces in the United
States certified Ecopiñas del Arenal, a Dole-owned farm producing organic pineapples in
Costa Rica to Fair Trade. Fair Trade uses a market-based approach that empower farmers
to get a fair price for their harvest, helps workers create safe working conditions, provides
a decent living wage and guarantees the right to organize.
Ecopiñas del Arenal is the first Dole-owned farm to receive Fair Trade certification.
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Bill Clinton and Sylvain Cuperlier
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WHAT’S
NEW?
(con‘t.)
DOLE HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
In May, Dole participated in the second annual Forum on Sustainability and Happiness
in Costa Rica. This year, former U.S. President Bill Clinton provided the closing keynote,
delivering a message on environmental sustainability.
Sylvain Cuperlier introduced � the Forum’s roundtable on sustainable agriculture. In
this introduction, Cuperlier discussed the potential issues related to pesticide use, the
need for a more pro-active response to climate change and the requirement to focus
further on water use and soil conservation. He also highlighted some challenges specific
to agriculture, like how increasing market pressure on prices can be a constraint when it
comes to extending sustainable production practices.
Cuperlier pinpointed some opportunities for collaboration as well. Participation in multi-
stakeholder initiatives aimed at exchanging best sustainable practices, through the Costa
Rican platform for pineapples and the World Banana Forum, was a central focus.
The roundtable’s participants also featured other Dole representatives including
Roberto Vega, Dole’s Director of Susatainability, who provided the audience with more
information on the Company’s sustainability programs.
DOLE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
PREPARATORY DISCUSSIONS OF THE
RIO+20 SUMMIT
Roberto Vega further discussed Dole’s sustainability initiatives in the working group on
Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at the Business for the Environment (B4E)
Global Summit 2012, which took place on May 21-22 in Berlin, Germany.
B4E is the leading international platform for dialog and partnership solutions for the
environment. The recommendations from the working groups organized in Berlin were
then presented as official business input for decisions-makers at Rio+20, the United
Nations conference on Sustainable Development, which took place in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, at the end of June.
Vega participated in the panel on “Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture”. Other
panelists included representatives from PepsiCo, Nestlé, World Wildlife Foundation
Germany, as well as the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives
of Tanzania.

WHAT’S
NEW?
(con‘t.)
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DOLE ASIA AND KASILAK FOUNDATION RECEIVE
EXPOSURE IN THE PHILIPPINES
At the end of June, Jenny Wiegleb, Vice President, Dole Asia Fresh and Joemil Montebon,
Executive Director of the Kasilak Foundation (who was profiled in the Who’s Who section
of our 3rd issue) spoke at an IWMF event in Manila, Philippines.
IWMF is the International Women’s Media Foundation. The meeting was part of a program
aimed at training senior journalists to enhance news media coverage of environmental
issues in the Philippines.
Jenny provided the audience with an overview of Dole’s partnerships and initiatives in
the CR&S area while Joemil gave an NGO perspective � on environmental programs in the
Philippines and addressed the benefits of developing multi-stakeholder initiatives.
IN CANADA, DOLE PRESENTS INNOVATIVE
SOLUTIONS TO DECREASE CARBON FOOTPRINT
Sylvain Cuperlier was invited as a speaker in the GLOBE 2012 event, held form March 14-16
in Vancouver, Canada.
GLOBE 2012 is one of the world’s largest series dedicated to the business of the
environment. Over 10,000 people, including busines leaders, corporate executives, NGO’s,
and government policymakers from around the world participated in the event. Dole
spoke � in the panel on ‘Innovative Approaches to a Smaller Corporate Carbon Footprint’.
The panel also included representatives from BASF, S.C. Johnson and C.N. (North America
Railroad).
The Huffington Post also published an article � written during the conference and focusing
on Dole’s innovative solutions to reduce Carbon Footprint.
DOLEFIL LAUNCHES NEW CORPORATE
RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM INVOLVING EMPLOYEES
On June 13, Dolefil launched 5ingkowelahan, a program aimed at giving the future
generations better learning conditions through the provision of classrooms in the South
Cotabato Province.
What makes 5ingkowelahan unique is the employees’ involvement in funding the program.
Even though the voluntary payment is not that much for employees (5 Philippine pesos per
period, or approximately 12 U.S. cents), combined with each and everyone’s contribution,
it is anticipated to have a great impact in Dolefil’s community. Just in one day, when the
program was launched, the contributions of Dolefil’s employees amounted to PHP 65,685
(USD 1,550)!
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The World Banana Forum was launched at the
FAO headquarters in Rome, December 2009
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WHAT’S
NEW?
(con‘t.)
DOLE FRESH VEGETABLES: CONTINUOUS ENERGY
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Dole Fresh Vegetables plans to use a number of proven tools of the Target Zero, their safety
program, to help improve their energy consciousness and costs. The intent of the project
is to develop and implement an energy awareness culture focused on improvements at all
participating locations (Marina, Soledad, Springfield and Bessemer City) since those sites
pay millions of dollars each year for energy to operate.
To address all the opportunities and create a platform for sharing gains uncovered, each site
is completing an assessment of its current state, in order to have a benchmark from which
to measure progress. Those assessments will be supported by a site Energy Team.
Once all the potential opportunities have been identified, scorecards will be developed so
that results against the benchmark periods can be measured. Periodic meetings will be held
with all the teams participating to share findings, potential re-engineering and cost savings.
SECOND PLENARY SESSION OF THE WORLD
BANANA FORUM (WBF) IN GUAYAQUIL
In February, several Dole representatives participated in the second edition of the WBF. For
more information on the WBF, please read the section “Did you Know?” focusing on how
Dole partners with key stakeholders.
Two hundred people repesenting the banana industry, governmental and inter-
governmental bodies, Civil Society, and consumer organizations, trade unions, certification
agencies, research institutes, academics and retailers participated in the Forum. On behalf
of the banana industry, Patricia Bresciani, VP of HR at DFFI, made the opening speech �
highlighting the Forum’s achievements and its future challenges. Before the Forum started,
participants had the opportunity to visit Megabanana, a Dole banana farm in Ecuador.
The WBF’s working groups presented their findings and defined the next steps related to
the following subjects; carbon footprint, water management, red rust thrips management,
nematode control, aerial spraying, development of a virtual library to share industry best
environmental practices, calculation of decent wages, freedom of association and health &
safety aspects related to the use of pesticides.
A full report (In English, French and Spanish) of the Guayaquil conference will be posted
shortly on the World Banana Forum’s website at www.fao.org/wbf.

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WHAT’S
NEW?
(con‘t.)
Maria Eugenia together with representatives
form Negal, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Uganda, etc. and
the heads of SNV
Sandra Lima, Renato Acuña, Maria Eugenia
Castro and Andrés Macía
DALE FOUNDATION IN THE LIMELIGHT IN BOTH
THE UNITED STATES AND THE NETHERLANDS
United States: On June 25-26, Sandra Lima from the Dale Foundation was invited to
present the Foundation’s views in the “Cracking the Nut Roundtable” organized in
Washington D.C.
This event aimed to leverage public private partnerships to develop rural and
agricultural markets, by bringing together international donors, banks, investors and
other private sector players, as well as policy makers involved in rural and agricultural
finance.
Sandra spoke in the following panel: ‘Partnerships: a critical success factor to expanding
markets’, together with representatives from Deloitte, PepsiCo and Unilever.
Netherlands: Maria Eugenia Castro, Executive Director of the Dale Foundation, was
invited to participate in the “From Island of Success to Seas of Change” workshop
which took place mid April in The Hague, Netherlands.
This by-invitation-only event was organized by the Wageningen University, with the
financial support of SNV, the Dutch Development Organization. The workshop’s main
objective was to discuss how businesses, with the right support from government,
donors, NGO’s and research can scale up agri-food market development and help to
tackle poverty.
The Dale Foundation was invited to this workshop in order to share with participants
how Dole’s investment in Peru contributes to generate additional revenues for the
community, by exporting organic banans, as described in SNV’s case study about Dole
in Peru. �
DALE FOUNDATION WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
The Dale Foundation was presented with the Segundo Wong Award for outstanding
work in the pursuit of the community’s goals. Eduardo Ledesma, President of the
Ecuadorian Banana Exporters Association (AEBE) handed out the award to Peter
Gilmore, Dole Ecuador’s General Manager, on May 28 in Guayaquil.
Congratulations to Dale!
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WHAT’S
NEW?
(con‘t.)
Medical attention in la Hojita
Not necessarily a nice moment!
Representatives from Bama, Banana Link (British
NGO), the community, Dole and FENACLE (local
union) partook in the ceremony.
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EMERGENCY ATTENTION TO VICTIMS OF FLOODS
At the end of February and beginning of March, several provinces of Ecuador received
heavy rains which generated floods.
In light of this situation, the Dale Foundation sent health squads to the devastated areas to
provide the affected communities with immediate medical attention.
In total, thanks to the support of community leaders, independent producers and Dole
personnel, close to 1,000 people attended free of charge in the Manabi and los Rios Areas.
SECOND HEALTH DAY
For the second year in a row, Dale organized a health day in the premises of two schools
built by the Foundation (Vicente Piedrahita in los Rios and Ecuador Pais Amazónico in
Guayas).
The mission was supported by the Ecuadorian-American Chamber of Guayaquil and that of
Miami. The school teachers and community members contributed to the organization and
conduct of the campaign.
A team of 15 doctors provided 442 people from the local community with free of charge
general practice and dentistry exams.
FIRST STONE LAID DOWN FOR A NEW SPORTS
FIELD
On March 1st, Dale organized a ceremony to lay down the first stone of a new sports field
close to the Ecuador Pais Amazónico school. When finished, the facility will be equipped
with state-of-the-art concrete terraces, sanitay arrangements and locker rooms.
The project is co-financed by Bama, our Norweigian customer.

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DID YOU KNOW?
DOLE’S ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS
In the area of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Dole has engaged with many different stakeholders both locally and internationally.
At the local level, those stakeholders can encompass groups like our workers and their representatives, the communities in which we operate, our
growers and suppliers, academics, as well as local governmental or non governmental organizations. Dole has developed an open dialogue with
those parties. The result of this dialogue is the building of a climate of trust and confidence. It also helps us to define priorities when creating new
programs, adding benefits or taking any action that affects local residents.
Several of those local partnerships are illustrated in the previous section of this newsletter. For example, the 5ingkowelahan initiative at Dolefil relies
on our workers’ contributions and has received the full support of Dolefil’s workers’ union. Joemil’s presentation about the partnership established
between the Kasilak Foundation and Dole Stanfilco of the sports field in Ecuador is also a multi-stakeholder project, as was the construction of the
Ecuador Pais Amazónico school.
Children at the Ecuador Pais Amazónico
school, a project developed together with
our Norwegian customer as well as the
community and trade union representatives.
©Dole/Laurent Vautrin
THE WATER FOOTPRINT NETWORK (www.waterfootprint.org)
In addition to frequent communications with local stakeholders, Dole is also an active
participant in many international multi-stakeholder initiatives. Most of the initiatives are
comparable to think-tank platforms that address challenges on a global level, while some tackle
medium- to long-term CR&S issues. Participating in multi-stakeholder initiatives can help some
stakeholders, particularly the most critical ones, to better understand the challenges we face,
how we respond to those challenges, and have a more balanced and fair opinion of Dole. For
us, it is also an opportunity to identify new areas for improvement.
In addition, for specific global and major issues like climate change, Dole believes that a company
alone, or the industry alone, will not be able to find all the solutions. The Company can only
provide an efficient action plan if it is coordinated with the efforts of other important actors
from different backgrounds and sensitivities that are all aiming to achieve shared objectives. To
this end, Dole participates in several initatives including:
Dole joined the Water Footprint Network in 2009. The mission of this global partner network is to encourage a transition
towards a sustainable, fair and efficient use of the world’s fresh water supply. Its goals are to advance the concept of “water footprint”, increase
water footprint awareness among communities, government bodies and businesses and encourage the creation of water authorities. Active
members within the Water Footprint Network include the following:
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DID YOU KNOW?
THE WORLD BANANA FORUM (WBF) (http://www.fao.org/wbf/en/)
This forum, launched in December 2009 at the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome,
offers a permanent assembly space for participants representing the global banana supply chain in which to promote open dialogue
around sustainable banana production and trade. Its mission is to improve the banana industry through collaboration between producers and their
organizations, trade unions, cooperatives, exporter groups, trading companies, retailers, public agencies, governments, research institutions and civil
society organizations. Members and participants include the following organizations:
In addition to being represented on the WBF Steering Committee (R. Vega), Dole appointed coordinators in the WBF’s three working groups:
- sustainable production systems and environmental impact (S. Cuperlier)
- distribution of value (P. Bresciani, VP HR, DFFI)
- labor rights & other workplace issues (J. Villacis, HR Dir, Dole Ecuador)
If you want to know more about the latest developments in the WBF, please refer to the aricle entitled “Second World Banana Forum in Guayaquil”
in the What’s New section above.
THE GLOBAL SOCIAL COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (www.gspnet.com)
In 2008, Dole joined the Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP), a retail-drivien initiative for companies looking to harmonize
current sustainability efforts by benchmarking existing certifications and exchanging best practices in the labor and environmental
areas. Current GSCP members are:
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WHO‘S WHO?
Xavier, in our Hamburg office
For this 5th edition we spoke to Xavier Roussel, Marketing and Communication Director at
Dole Europe (and our neighbor in the Hamburg office, by the way).
Xavier supports our CR&S team by translating Dole’s CR&S achievements into added-value
messages for our key European customers.
Under Xavier’s supervision, Dole Europe recently launched Dole-Earth (http://www.dole-
earth.com/en). Dole Europe’s latest generation of web-based tools are aimed at inviting end-
consumers to discover “the story behind the product”.
Xavier, can you briefly describe the reason for and concept behind Dole-Earth?
XR: Bananas are the most important fruit in the produce department. They are strategically important for retailers since they are one of the key
items for them to differentiate from competitors in the eyes of consumers. Across Europe, supermarkets are under pressure from the discounters
that use bananas as a cheap commodity to attract consumers in the stores.
It is therefore of critical importance for Dole Europe to explain to its customers and consumers the value behind its products and its competence
in the category. This is the reason behind the creation of Dole-Earth. Dole-Earth is a website that aims to connect consumers emotionally to
their Dole bananas by telling its story.
What are the various tools available on the website?
XR: There are four main sections which consumers can visit.
1. Track the Fruit Back to the Farm
Consumers can experience tracability by tracking their fruit back to the farm where it
comes. It is also an opportunity for us to promote and explain the different certifications
that each farm has obtained. The concept, initiated years ago by the organic group, is still
very relevant to consumers today. The need for transparency in the supply chain is a strong trend in the food industry.
2. Visit a Dole Farm
Consumers are invited to a virtual farm tour. During the tour, visitors can access slide shows
and videos which explain the different steps of the production process. The focus is on the
dedication and skills necessary to produce a premium fruit as well as on the numerous
initiatives that Dole carries out in terms of social and environmental responsibility.
3. Understand the Supply Chain
A short and entertaining film takes consumers through the story of a banana from the farm
the shelf of their local supermarket.
Dole-Earth’s homepage
On the website, consumers are invited to enter
the farm code located on the sticker
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WHO‘S WHO?
4. Discover Dole’s CR&S Initiatives
Dole differentiates from most competitors by its leadership in social and environmental
responsibility. It is an important message to put across to consumers. A wide range of
videos display some emblematic Dole projects like the Dale foundation in Ecuador or our
recycling programs in Costa Rica. They also portray some Dole employees in their daily
work and life.
On the internet users are usually driven by emotions and continuously seek to be surprised.
Therefore the Dole-Earth project, managed by Sonja Schulze who is responsible for digital
marketing at Dole Europe, provides an innovative and high quality online experience.
Special attention has also been paid to the quality of the films and pictures.
How have consumers responded so far?
XR: In less than 2 months, the site has received close to 100,000 visits. This is a very encouraging start. Many consumers who liked the idea
and the website sent us encouraging messages. The launch campaign boosted the number of visits. However, we still have now hundreds of
consumers entering their code on a daily basis.
And what about retailers?
XR: Retailers are also responding positively. They expect Dole to come up with innovative ideas and are looking forward to our point of sale
activities.
In light of this success, what are the next steps?
XR: Next steps are to bring more consumers to the site. We will work in the second half of 2012 to promote this project at the point of sales
in the retail sector. In the future we would like to extend Dole-Earth to other Dole produce, for instance pineapples. Like any online activity,
the key challenge is to create new content in order to encourage consumers to come back to the site.
Finally, can you tell us more about you and your team?
From left to right, Sonja Schulze, Karin Eberle,
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Xavier Roussel & Sandra Kirchhoff
Inside the plantation, with the opportunity to
learn more about Dole’s recycling programs
XR: I am 42 years old and a happy farther of three children who have kept my wife
and me busy over the past 10 years. I have been 20 years in the produce industry
and the last 15 years at Dole, in different positions and countries. I started in Paris in
1997 coordinating the sales of the newly established South African export operation.
Then I became General Manager of the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg)
operations before taking the position of Banana Director for Europe when the market
was deregulated in 2007. Later on, I had the same position for Pineapple. Since 2010
I’ve been the Marketing and Communication Director at Dole Europe, based in Hamburg.
Dole Europe has a dynamic and experienced team with Karen Eberly (Account
Management & Promotion), Sandra Kirchhoff (PR, events and in-store promotions) and
Sonja Schulze (Digital Marketing, Market Research, Account Management).

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WRAP
UP
NEW FUNCTION!
You have probably seen this new icon � in several articles. This icon means that the
speech, the presentation or a summary of the discussions referred to in the article is
available, by clicking on the icon. Please note that some documents may not always be
available in English.
DALE FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORTS
The 2010 annual report of the Dale Foundation’s activites in Ecuador is now available in
English and Spanish upon request.
The 2008 - 2010 annual report of the Dale Foundation’s activities in Peru is now also
available (in Spanish only) upon request.
WEBSITE UPDATE
Finally, we have updated the section on “Performance” of our CR&S website. Our full
Carbon Footprint assessment report � for Dole’s banana porduced in Costa Rica and
exported in Germany can be accessed as well as our full Water Footprint assessment
report � for bananas produced in Costa Rica and Honduras.
This newsletter has been produced by Dole’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability
Department, based in Europe, with support from Suzi Irwin in Westlake Village.
We welcome your comments and contributions to the CR&S Newsletter.
Feel free to contact the CR&S department:
Sylvain Cuperlier/Roberto Vega
c/o Dole Europe GmbH
Stadtdeich 7
20097 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: + 49-40-32-9060
sylvain.cuperlier@dole.com / roberto.vega@dole.com
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