Dole Presents Company’s Sustainability Initiatives During Costa Rica Business Forum Attended by Al Gore

Dole Food Company, Inc. (NYSE: DOLE) today announced that Dole was one of the main sponsors of Costa Rica’s first Business Forum on Sustainability and the Environment (Foro Empresarial sobre Sostenibilidad y Ambiente) March 16. This forum was organized by Terra Partners, the first company in the region specialized in green marketing.

Former U.S. Vice President and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore with Dole Latin America President Jon Bass at Costa Rica's first Business Forum on Sustainability and the Environment on March 16. Dole was a major sponsor. (Photo: Business Wire)

Roberto Vega, Dole's Director of Sustainability, delivered a presentation to more than 300 attendees on the Company's four pillars of sustainability (carbon footprint, water use, soil conservation and packaging) and specific initiatives in Costa Rica.

The conference was followed by a roundtable with U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Anne Slaughter Andrew. In this roundtable, Dole and the other representatives of U.S. organizations participating in the forum discussed the objectives of a newly launched sustainability council aimed at supporting and promoting sustainability initiatives in Costa Rica. "One of the main objectives of the council is to establish a communication bridge between companies, NGOs, organizations dedicated to the protection of the environment as well as governmental organizations and to educate consumers. By sharing common interests and goals, we will define next steps and implement concrete actions in order to comply with our moral obligation to protect the planet,” said Javier del Campo, President of the sustainability council.

Dole Latin America President Jonathan Bass delivered a speech further highlighting Dole’s commitment to sustainability during a dinner attended by former U.S. Vice President and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore, representatives of the Costa Rican government and the U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica. His remarks followed Vice President Gore's presentation on "sustainable economic development and the new global focus."

"This event was a unique opportunity for Dole to present and share examples of best sustainability practices with local and international stakeholders actively involved in taking up the challenges related to sustainability and Global Warming," said Sylvain Cuperlier, Vice President of Worldwide Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Dole.

Dole, with 2010 net revenues of $6.9 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. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.

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