Dole New Zealand, a subsidiary of Dole Asia Fresh and Dole Packaged Foods divisions of Dole Asia Holdings Pte Ltd, is thrilled to announce ‘The Dole Promise’; a global company initiative that aims to increase access to sustainable nutrition, and decrease food waste, packaging waste and carbon emissions for the benefit of its stakeholders, employees, customers, and the planet.
The promise draws on the spirit of ‘Sampo Yoshi,’ an 18th century Japanese philosophy that views the well-being of society and business as interdependent, and ensures the business is beneficial to the seller, to the buyer and to the community.
“The triple-win concept of ‘Sampo Yoshi’ has been part of Japanese culture for centuries, and is now at the heart of The Dole Promise as we play our part in helping to restore balance in the world by doubling down on our mission to put the health of the planet at the heart of everything we do,” says Richard Toman, President Dole Asia Fresh Division. “It’s a promise that Dole is making to do business differently, and to join forces with those who are equally committed to bringing back the goodness of the earth.”
The Dole Promise frames this philosophy to include:
Better for People:
- Access to sustainable nutrition for 1 billion people by 2025
- Moving towards zero processed sugar in all Dole products by 2025
Better for Planet:
- Moving towards zero fruit loss from Dole farms to markets by 2025
- Moving towards zero fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025
- Aiming for net zero carbon emissions in Dole operations by 2030
Better for all Stakeholders:
- Dole will continue to positively impact all farmers, communities and people working for Dole – through its commitment to equal opportunity, living wages, and an ever-increasing level of safety, nutrition, and wellbeing. The company also seeks to advance human rights within the direct operations and supply chains by building a culture of transparency and accountability. The company also aims for a 50% increase in the value of its business by 2025.
Dole General Manager Steve Barton said that The Dole Promise reflects the company’s commitment to change that helps people and the planet, particularly considering the challenges of the current climate.
“265 million additional people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020[1] as a result of Covid-19. – double the amount seen in 2019,” said Barton.
“Business as usual simply won’t cut it in the face of a looming food crisis, not to mention the ongoing issues of climate change, resource waste and declining natural resources. There’s no doubt it’s time for change, and naturally the first place for us to start is within our own business.”
The Dole Promise campaign video, ‘Dear Leaders of the World’, gives voice to the concern of today’s youth about their generation’s future if something doesn’t change now.
"We’re working towards a more equitable and sustainable future – it’s our responsibility as the people of today to provide a better planet for the generations of the future.”
In New Zealand, Dole is working towards achieving the Dole Promise with several local initiatives, including a partnership with OKE Charity, which provides South Auckland primary schools with sustainable fruit and vegetable gardens for children and their communities.
A sponsorship of the Motutapu Restoration Trust sees funding support a kiwi release programme and habitat development for species like the Coromandel brown kiwi, takahe, and saddleback.
During the Covid-19 New Zealand lockdown Dole provided products to KidsCan, Love Soup and Foodbank Canterbury to support Kiwis in need. And an ongoing partnership with a nationwide food charity, to be announced soon, will see at least 48,000 bananas donated to food centres nationwide over the next year.
“The Dole Promise is a global initiative, but every market will need to play their part to achieve the goals we have set,” said Barton. “We’re very proud of our partnerships here in New Zealand and know that our efforts here will see us contribute significantly to our global promises.”
Dole’s Tropical Gold Pineapples, Ecuador bananas and Bobby Bananas are proudly certified by Rainforest Alliance, a non-profit organisation that aligns farmers, forest communities, companies, and consumers committed to creating a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.
Globally, Dole has partnered with several forward-thinking organisations to achieve The Dole Promise - international civil society organisation Solidaridad; Forum for the Future; Future Food Institute; and venture capital firm Rocana.
Later this year, Dole will launch the Sunshine for All Investment Fund to support additional strategic partnerships and strategic investments in these areas around the world. The US$2m annual fund will work with innovators, start-ups and progressive partners to help deliver on the Dole Promise in key areas such as nutrition products, materiality, advisory and implementation of crucial practices to help achieve the ambitions that have been set.
Additionally, Dole is bringing these commitments inside their company walls, with employee programs that educate and encourage all Dole employees to live ‘The Dole Promise’.
To see the full details of the Dole Promise and the Sunshine for All investment fund visit sunshineforall.com and download the Dole Promise visual here.
[1] https://www.mercycorps.org/blog/quick-facts-global-hunger#global-hunger
