As a legacy fruit brand, Dole celebrates its 125th year as one of the largest banana producers and exporters in the US, crediting its pioneering growers and shippers who introduced Americans to healthy and new produce, Bil Goldfield, Dole’s director of communications, explained to FoodNavigator-USA.
Dole’s Banana-versary, which launched Feb. 1 and runs until December 2024, features contests, partnerships, announcements, engagement opportunities and recipes throughout the year.
Crediting Dole’s founders, James Drummond Dole in Hawaii, the Vaccaro brothers and Salvador D’Antoni, who “pioneered new ways of growing, shipping and getting produce to market that ultimately helped establish the industry,” Dole became a leading produce brand, Goldfield said.
“What truly sets Dole apart is that after these pioneering channels were created to bring Americans exotic new produce, the focus turned to health and nutrition that continues today. We know from research that most Americans now associate Dole as more than simply a brand of fresh fruits and vegetable; instead they see us as a partner in the ongoing quest for a healthier, happier life,” Goldfield emphasized.
In stores across the US and Canada, Dole will feature a commemorative “Dole 125th Banana-versary” sticker on its bananas, as well as displays, point-of-purchase materials, and in-store activations.
Highlighting banana production and sustainability
The promotions will also highlight Dole’s sustainability initiatives for the company and “the global produce industry,” Goldfield said.
Dole’s bananas are grown on its own farms and from independent farms in equatorial regions, including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Columbia and Peru.
Last year, Dole, in partnership with Pyka, maker of autonomous aircrafts, completed its first trial phase of drone fungicide applications in an effort to reduce chemical usage and improve spray precision on Dole’s banana trees, protecting the crop from fungal disease, Black Sigatoka. While the fungus does not infect the banana fruit directly, fruit from an infected tree will ripen more quickly during transport.
Additionally, the company’s pineapples, grown year-round in Costa Rica under the Fair Trade Certified program, received the Sustainable Innovation award by Good Housekeeping.
“At the most basic level, The Dole Way seeks to positively impact people, nature and nutrition. We want to protect nature with smart strategies and we consider a diet with the highest quality fruit and vegetables to be an essential part of health and well-being,” he added.
