Dole Gives
Consumers Direct Line to Costa Rica
An interactive sticker system is being introduced by fresh produce
supplier Dole to help reassure consumers over its banana sourcing
policies. Each sticker will feature a unique code that identifies
where the bananas were packed. Shoppers can enter the code into the
Planet Dole website, which will give them access to information
about the grower.
Consumers will be able to zoom into the farm via Google Earth, learn
about the farmers who grew the fruit and the social benefits sales
of the bananas have paid for.
Dole, the world's largest fresh produce company, would roll out the
stickers in Continental European retailers later this month, and was
in discussions with UK supermarkets about introducing the stickers
here, said Dole vice-president Sylvain Cuperlier.
In a crowded fresh produce aisle, stickers directly on the produce
were the best way of communicating information, he said.
The stickers will initially be limited to banana lines from Costa
Rica, although Dole plans to extend this to Ecuador and other
locations. Other fruit may also be included in the scheme in future.
"We are being more proactive in promoting corporate social
responsibility," added Cuperlier. "We want consumers to know more
about what's behind the brand. Bananas are a sensitive product in
terms of image and consumers are concerned about how they are
sourced."
The stickers were part of a strategy to get retailers to work with
Dole on joint CSR projects, Cuperlier said. A Norwegian supermarket,
for example, had recently contributed $300,000 to a Dole community
project in Ecuador. Retailers could contribute towards any of 20
medical, environmental or social projects, he said, adding that the
publicity would help boost consumer confidence in their sourcing
practices.
Dole was also providing material for children to use in the
classroom to explain how produce was sourced and when fruit was
ripe, Cuperlier said. |
