WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California - APRIL 16, 2009
Dole Food Company, Inc. announces that Copdeban -Dole's entity in Peru- has launched a foundation in the country: the Dole Foundation of Sullana Valley. Newly inaugurated, it mainly aims at improving the health and educational conditions in the local communities and in empowering producer associations in the production and packing process.
The Dole Foundation of Sullana Valley already includes 11 Peruvian producer associations and represents more than 2,200 small farmers and agricultural workers.
The foundation focuses on five programs:
- Business Development - Providing associations with the funds, equipment and training needed to develop their banana production skills.
- Education - Providing rural schools with scholarships and infrastructure support.
- Health - Providing medical assistance to farmers, workers and their families, with a special attention paid to prevention.
- Environment - Making the community aware of practices that respect their environment.
- Community Development - Building and promoting public places and houses, and organizing family-focused events throughout the year to preserve the community life.
The foundation is financed through a one dollar contribution made for each banana box exported. The foundation's accounts will be audited on a regular basis by a third-party organization.
Dole has been operating in the Piura region in Northern Peru since 2001, where it helped develop the banana export industry by providing technical assistance to small farmers and encouraging local producers to grow organic produce. "This Foundation represents a new step forward in Copdeban's partnership with the producer organizations" said Frans Wielemaker, Director of the Dole Organic Program. "We are very proud of the program's early success. After only a few weeks, the foundation has already contributed $230,000 towards projects creating 550 new jobs and providing 40 scholarships."
The Dole Foundation of Sullana Valley in Peru is the third Dole Foundation in Latin America, joining FUNDEBAN in Colombia and DALE in Ecuador.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2008 revenues of $7.6 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole also markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods, and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research. For more information on the company's CSR efforts, please visit www.dolecsr.com.
Jan 5, 2009
Social Impact of a DOLE Organic Banana Plantation in Northern Colombia.
During the 4 years of operations in La Guajira, Colombia, Don Pedro Farm has shown a very positive impact among the soundrounding communities of Matitas, Choles, Anaime, Tigreras and Comejenes.
Don Pedro Farm provides full time and permanent job to hundreds of locals and contributes to the improvement of their living conditions.
On December 27th, 2008, on a very emotive act, Mr. Jorge Perez Vernier, Governor of La Guajira, Mr. Jaider Curiel, Major of Riohacha, and Mr. Roland Pinedo, Manager of Gases de la Guajira (Natural Gas Company), signed the agreement to subsidize 620 home gas connections in the above mentioned communities were most of the Don Pedro Farm’s workers live. With an investment of US$162.000, 620 families will now have access to gas in their homes.
The local authorities recognized the role of Don Pedro Farm on the Social Development of the Region and especially in the development of this project
Capacitación de Evaluadores de Producción de Banano Orgánico
Ciento nueve trabajadores-operarios de la Agropecuaria San Gabriel de la finca Don Pedro, en el corregimiento de Matitas, del Municipio de Riohacha y cinco evaluadores en Producción de banano orgánico recibieron sus respectivos certificados de competencia laboral.
En la sede la plantación se desarrolló el acto donde los aprendices, trabajadores de la Finca Don Pedro, cumplieron con las diferentes etapas de formación en un ambiente colaborativo, donde el SENA contó con el irrestricto apoyo de las directivas de la compañía.
Cabe destacar que esta certificación fue entregada a un representativo grupo de mujeres de la zona, que laboran en la bananera y que mostraron su interés por recibir la certificación buscando siempre realizar un trabajo responsable para contribuir con el presupuesto familiar.
Por primera vez en el departamento de La Guajira se entrega certificación por competencia laboral en este renglón de la economía, constituyéndose los aprendices en alternativas para nuevos proyectos de banano orgánico que se tienen previstos para la región. A la fecha, con la llegada de la bananera se ha reactivado la económica de la zona y centenares de residentes en poblaciones como Matitas, Choles, Anaime y Tigreras cuentan hoy con un empleo, que además les ha dado la oportunidad de formarse en el SENA y mejorar sus competencias y calidad de vida.
Para José Ferreira, Gerente Administrador de la Finca Don Pedro, este es un logro que se obtuvo gracias al Sena, pues hace tres años cuando la empresa llegó no contaban con mano de obra residente en estas poblaciones, calificada para este oficio. “Hoy, dijo Ferreira, los nativos de la región pueden mostrar su competitividad y motivar a otros a que mejoren cada día sus competencias, porque la proyección es que los 230 trabajadores de la bananera San Pedro estén certificados por el Sena el próximo año”.
Link: http://el-informador.com/detgua.php?id=42349
Aug 11, 2008
Time to plant trees!
Dole Organic Program is encouraging the communities to join the Company effort to become Carbon Neutral by reducing the CO2 emissions and compensate them by planting trees.
After a very successful tree planting campaign on June 5th, Environment Day, where more than 10.000 trees were planted at DOLE Organic Farms in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras and Costa Rica; people is still excited with this initiative and willing to be part of it.
Last week, at ECOPIÑAS del ARENAL, S.A., an Organic Certified Pineapple Farm owned by DOLE in Bella Vista de Cutris, 200 Kms north of San José in Costa Rica, we received the visit of Red Cross Volunteers from Ciudad Quesada (main city in northern Costa Rica).
These Red Cross Volunteers participated in an “on farm” training course about Organic Agriculture, Soil Conservation, Environmental Protection and Carbon Compensation as well as in a planting more than 500 trees in our organic certified farm.
We want to thank these brave teens for joining us in our effort to reduce our Environmental Footprint.
After a very successful tree planting campaign on June 5th, Environment Day, where more than 10.000 trees were planted at DOLE Organic Farms in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras and Costa Rica; people is still excited with this initiative and willing to be part of it.
Last week, at ECOPIÑAS del ARENAL, S.A., an Organic Certified Pineapple Farm owned by DOLE in Bella Vista de Cutris, 200 Kms north of San José in Costa Rica, we received the visit of Red Cross Volunteers from Ciudad Quesada (main city in northern Costa Rica).
These Red Cross Volunteers participated in an “on farm” training course about Organic Agriculture, Soil Conservation, Environmental Protection and Carbon Compensation as well as in a planting more than 500 trees in our organic certified farm.
We want to thank these brave teens for joining us in our effort to reduce our Environmental Footprint.
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