Current Newsletter Print Version - Dole Sustainability

The World Banana Forum was launched at the
FAO headquarters in Rome, December 2009
6
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.