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Dole plc was pleased to receive a “B” rating in the Climate Change category from the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2022. Reducing emissions from operations is one of the most significant contributions Dole can make to address climate change and secure our long-term future. Our current supply chain will also adopt clean sources of energy to power our vessels and vehicles, our farming equipment, and our processing plants and packing operations as they become commercially available. Our farming research teams also continue to focus on a controlled decrease in the emissions produced from the application of synthetic fertilisation that sustains the required level of productivity.
(Units are in metric tons (mt) of CO2e)
* Quantification of Scope 3 for Diversified Fresh Produce – EMEA was extrapolated based on other division’s emissions calculations.
In 2021, the carbon footprint for Dole plc globally was measured. Details can be found in the accompanying table. We are happy to report a 4% decrease in carbon emissions compared to our 2020 baseline* for Scope 1 and 2 (*calculated on a pro forma basis). This reduction is attributed to our investment in new and more efficient vessels to transport our produce from Latin America to the US Gulf Coast as well as our ongoing efforts to switch to renewable forms of energy within our operations. Dole has committed to set even more ambitious targets for 2030 to reduce emissions and align with Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) guidelines. We intend to submit our target to SBTi for review in 2023.
A single Dole ship can carry up to 100 million bananas which makes shipping the most efficient transportation method per ton. Nonetheless, we continue to modernise our vessel fleet to help reduce our shipping emissions, and we’re excited to see how much further the adoption of new technology can propel us.
Our two newest vessels both delivered in 2021, Dole Maya and Dole Aztec, use the latest in sustainable technology, including hydrodynamic efficient hulls and best-in-class main and auxiliary engines. Along with the latest exhaust scrubbing technology resulting in 52% reduction of SOx emissions, the propulsion and power plant engines are all certified TIER III compliant — achieving nearly 66% reduction in NOx emissions per FEU (forty-foot equivalent unit) carried compared to the vessels they replaced in the same shipping service which were built in 1989-1991.
We have also renewed and upgraded our fleet of refrigerated containers to dramatically reduce energy usage, release of refrigerants, and greenhouse gas emissions to further decrease our environmental impact.
Fresh water is an essential resource for farmers. Overall, climate change affects water availability, and we need to carefully manage the resource to secure future growth. Our water stewardship activities are, therefore, a good barometer of how effectively we are managing our climate risks. At an operational level, Dole has been developing new ways to reduce water use on farms and at packing and processing facilities for many years and continues to make steady progress.
We are proud to be a member of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) as we invest in the responsible management of water. In total, 20 farms have been recognised for their sustainable water management practices across Colombia and Ecuador, including Dole-owned and Dole Independent producers. AWS certification is widely respected and includes a legal framework, promoting best practices around optimization, discharge and sanitation of water, and encouragement of collaboration with others that address needs and challenges within the watershed.
On farms and in processing plants, Dole’s “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach continues to deliver initiatives that create less waste. Wherever waste is a material issue, we are committed to understanding and reducing our footprint. In the marketplace, innovative marketing communications are dedicated to inspiring and empowering consumers to waste less purchased produce in the home while improving our packaging through design and material component levels is also a priority. Our aim is always to reduce our plastic usage and transition to recyclable or compostable materials wherever possible. We are also particularly active in integrating sustainable solutions into new product development- the introduction of our new, recyclable, mono-material ”BE Exotic” twin packs in Europe being a case in point.
Nearly 30 years ago, back in 1994, as part of our longstanding commitment to reduce waste, Dole led the creation of a joint venture, Recyplast with another banana grower and a plastic product manufacturer (today the Montecristo Group) to recycle agricultural plastic. Recyplast recycles banana bags and twines from farms into plastic corner boards used to support pallets during transport. Over the years, Recyplast has expanded to include 22 post-consumer collection and recycling centers across Costa Rica which not only collect plastic for recycling from other agricultural operations such as pineapples and melons but also provide local communities with employment and development opportunities. In 2019, The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica presented its first-ever Environmental Sustainability Award to Recyplast in recognition of the organisation’s pioneering work.
Various NGOs and governmental organisations have reported an acceleration in biodiversity loss: an alarming sign for the wellbeing of our planet. Dole has, for some time now, collaborated with organisations such as the Rainforest Alliance and as a founding member of Biodiversity Partnership Mesoamerica to promote biodiversity and develop monitoring programs to assess the status of ecosystems around our farming operations. Dole maintains over 3,000 hectares (over 7,000 acres) of forest on its banana and pineapple farms. We are committed to continually elevate our current practices and incorporate a yet more structured approach to study and promote biodiversity in our food systems.
At our banana farm Valle la Estrella in Costa Rica, bees are attracted to the refuge that banana stems provide and favour the habitat of the wooded areas around the farm. To keep farmworkers safe and give the bees undisturbed space, a local pollinator protection and rescue group has taught employees how to safely capture and relocate the swarms to the outskirts of the farm. Rich in biodiversity this area is home to hundreds of beehives that inhabit and pass through the farms and serves as an indicator that bees feel safe within the fields and are not impacted by our agricultural practices.