Dole Bananas in Costa Rica

Dole bananas are one of the chief exports in Costa Rica today, and they have a well known reputation for being an environmentally friendly and socially just company around the world. In July 1998, Dole's banana plantations in Costa Rica became the first agricultural producer in the world to receive its ISO 14001 certification developed by the International Organization for Standardization for approved environmental management. This was very important in Costa Rica because of the value put on environmental sustainability and eco-friendliness for companies in the country. Then, on March 2, 2005, Dole announced that its banana farms in Costa Rica recieved certification to the Social Accountability International SA 8000 work place and human rights standard. This certification has improved the Dole reputation even more, as it focuses on "child labor, forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, compensation and the implementation of an efficient management system." It is a standard that is certified by the ILO conventions, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Rights of the Child. The certification covers the planting, harvesting, and packing of bananas for export to the United States and Europe. Obviously, Dole is working very hard to ensure that they are striving for eco-friendliness and social justice.

This certification is a huge step for a banana plantation in Costa Rica because they normally have been known to disregard any rights of workers, pay extremely low wages, and put employees in danger while on the job. Many of the pesticides normally used for banana production have ruined thousands of acres of land, transforming them from diverse tropical ecosystems to barren, chemical filled fields that can now only be used to produce bananas. These pesticides and chemical eventually collect in the soil, ground water, and any runoff from the plantation, putting surrounding towns in danger as well. Also, these pesticides are still extremely toxic, and over 60% of reported pesticide poisonings in Costa Rica are from banana plantation workers. According to the book Green Prison, written by a banana plantation worker, "workers rarely receive adequate and appropriate protective clothing, nor are they properly trained to use pesticides safely." Clearly, banana plantations are not a very safe place to work. However, Dole has ensured, through their environmental and sociail certifications, that they are committed to safer working conditions and environmentally safe plantations. Dole has also received many other recognitions and awards for banana production in Costa Rica, including its corporate social responsibility program. Lastly, Dole has an excellent commitment towards the environment and its workers in Costa Rica, as the compnay has announced an Earth Day Agreement to offset carbon emissions in banana transport, the conversion of its farm equipment to bio-deisel fuel, and has renewed its goals for their health and education programs in Costa Rica.