No systemic change can occur without meaningful dialogue and partnerships within industries or supply chains. Dole is committed to conversations and collaboration with industry stakeholders to advance sustainability projects and goals. 

Dole engages with other entities across the business, governmental and the non-profit spheres – to help find solutions to pressing issues in the food and agriculture industries. Dole has built meaningful partnerships over the years based on shared values, a common set of goals and exchange of knowledge. 

These types of collaborations are a testament to the deep commitment we strive to maintain with all of our stakeholders: our customers, colleagues, suppliers, business partners and country locations around the world. Through this type of work, we can advance on our aims and ambitions together as partners in sustainable business.

Environmental Footprint Initiative for fresh produce supply chain 

Dole is proud to be working with Freshfel Europe on the launch of the Freshfel Environmental Footprint Initiative for the fresh produce supply chain. With EU legislation requiring environmental footprint accountability and increasing demand for product sustainability data there is a growing need for a standardized environmental footprint methodology for the fresh produce sector. Freshfel Europe and its members, including Dole, are embarking on the Environmental Footprint Initiative to develop a fresh fruit and vegetable environmental footprint methodology and digital tool to enhance the industry’s sustainability and maintain its value position among consumers. 

Until now, efforts within the sector to address product sustainability through environmental footprint have been highly fragmented. Over the past year, Freshfel Europe’s Working Group on Environmental Footprint has investigated individual efforts both throughout the sector and further afield to best understand the landscape and identify gaps in environmental footprint knowledge and tools. 

The Initiative will align with the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology as recommended by the EU. The PEF methodology is likely to be employed by the European Commission in upcoming legislation impacting the fresh produce sector on substantiating green claims and a harmonised EU sustainability labelling framework for food. Category rules specific to the fruit and vegetables sector will be developed ensuring comparable results of PEF-calculations. 

Dole Ireland wins Gold 

Dole Ireland was awarded Origin Green ‘Gold’ membership by Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board). Gold status recognises the efforts of those Origin Green members who have achieved “exceptional annual performance on their sustainability targets in areas such as raw material sourcing, water and energy efficiency, waste reduction, packaging and social sustainability” as determined by Bord Bia’s nominated and independent verification authority. Globally renowned, Origin Green is the world’s only national food and drink sustainability programme, encouraging Irish businesses to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets that respect and protect the environment and enrich local communities. 

"At Dole, sustainability, doing business the right way and responsibly managing resources and the environment in which we operate, lies at the heart of everything that we do. The award of Origin Green Gold status here in our home market is particularly gratifying, recognising as it does the dedication, effort, and expertise our people and our local growing partners nationwide bring to our business each and every day.” 

Des McCoy, Managing Director of Dole Ireland