Dole brings consumers closer to organic banana farms

Dole Fresh Fruit International, Ltd., a division of Dole Food Company, Inc., launched a new website (www.doleorganic.com) that houses several interactive tools aimed at bringing consumers closer to its organic banana operations. Dole is launching this innovative system in response to demand from consumers who increasingly want specific information relative to the farms where the Dole organic bananas are grown or purchased from growers.

Key to the system is the Dole organic bananas’ label, which is printed with a unique farm code that corresponds to the specific farm where the product was sourced. When consumers enter the indicated code into the new Dole website specifically developed for this purpose, they gain access to the farm's page, where they can find information regarding the farm’s characteristics (country, location, certifications), have the opportunity to learn more about the grower, read stories about Dole-sponsored projects in the area and look at pictures. Furthermore, the Dole organic website has a link to the most advanced satellite imaging technology available on the Internet, enabling consumers to actually view the farm where the bananas they purchased were grown and the neighboring areas.

“Consumers can now virtually visit the farms where the Dole organic bananas they buy are grown. It is an educational tool, which increases transparency and thus consumer confidence in our products and in our brand,” says Frans Wielemaker, Director of Sourcing and Development Organic Program of Dole Fresh Fruit International in San José, Costa Rica.

© Copyright The Organic & Non-GMO Report September 2007.