WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA – Dole Food Company’s Dale Foundation, responsible for Dole’s Ecuadorian and Peruvian social responsibility endeavors, was presented with the Segundo Wong Award for outstanding work in pursuit of the community’s goals.
The award was announced May 28 at the International Banana Forum, hosted by the Ecuadorian Banana Exporters Association (AEBE) in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Peter Gilmore, Dole’s Division General Manager, accepted the award from Eduardo Ledesma, president of AEBE.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Sylvain Cuperlier, Dole’s Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. “From building schools to implementing medical record and HIV/AIDS prevention programs, Dole and the Dale Foundation do so much good work in the region. We hope that this inspirational relationship continues for years to come.”
Dole is dedicated to enhancing the communities in which it operates and has implemented a variety of social responsibility policies that generate sustainable development through social, environmental and economic actions.
Dole worked with local community leaders to launch the Dale Foundation in 2001. It was founded on the philosophy that positive social outcomes should be a goal shared by the parent company, the banana producers and the community alike. Throughout the years, the Foundation has been successful in countless efforts, including running 22 health clinics, vaccination campaigns and nutrition lectures that benefit 12,500 families, most of whom are agricultural workers and their family members who formerly didn’t have access to healthcare. The Foundation has also built two elementary schools where it provides free education for 500 children in areas with a high concentration of banana farm workers.
About DALE Foundation
DALE Foundation designs and runs corporate social responsibility programs for Dole's subsidiaries in Ecuador and Peru. Its operations are entirely funded by Dole Food Company and independent banana growers.
About Dole Food Company
Dole, with 2011 revenues of $7.2 billion, is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas and producer/shipper of organic pineapples. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.
Source: Dole Food Company
