Dole Organic Bananas

Perhaps you have seen this label on a bunch of bananas at the grocery store. Dole is a household name, yet the organic label is somewhat new, only being introduced in February 2007.

According to The Organic & Non-GMO Report,

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.

Using the tool, found at doleorganic.com, I was able to "visit" the Marplantis farms in Ecuador. The company's procedures of organic banana production are described in detail and photographed. There is prominently displayed address and contact info on the page. The bananas are certified organic by both Ecocert and Global Gap. All of this serves to build confidence in the end product - the bananas themselves. This kind of transparency is notable from a company such as Dole. They are no stranger to pesticides and their devastating effects on the farm workers exposed to them. I sincerely hope that these steps toward organic production methods include at least a modest improvement in the workers' conditions.