2Sustain

Dole Food Company, Inc., the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables and the leading producer of organic bananas, announced that Bananito, a Dole farm located in Costa Rica, has received a ‘Plan A’ farming award from British retailer Marks & Spencer.

Earlier this year, Marks & Spencer announced plans to become the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015, and the company uses its Plan A farming award to recognize and promote farmers and growers who are taking steps to improve the sustainability of their business. This year, the application process was open for the first time to non-UK farmers.

Bananito is an 850-hectare Company-owned farm that has produced bananas since 1989, and it supplies Marks & Spencer as well as other customers. According to the Dole website, all of the 589 workers at Bananito receive at least the minimum wage, with the average being 92 percent above the minimum. Dole also provides workers with affordable housing, medical programs, education opportunities, training programs and other “social wellbeing” services.

“Many customers who visited Bananito have been impressed by the farm’s housing, medical, education, environmental and social programs,” says Danilo Roman, General Manager of Standard Fruit de Costa Rica. “This formal recognition of our programs goes right to the heart of what Bananito’s employees work toward every day for the community at large. We are very proud of their effort and will donate the award to our workers’ associations for their reinvesting in family activities.”

Like my post from last week about Nike’s support of workers affected by supplier factory closures, this story underscores the increasingly critical importance of collaboration between global corporations and their suppliers. Robust supplier relationships now must span continents, and are fundamental to any comprehensive CSR platform. Plus, they can help mitigate supplier risks (supply chain disruption, reputation, etc.), enhance value and lower costs.