Dole Joins Water Footprint Network

Dole Food Company, Inc. has joined the Water Footprint Network, a global partner network bringing together knowledge institutions, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and representatives from the private sector. Its mission is to promote the sustainable, fair, and efficient use of fresh water resources worldwide.

“For several years already, Dole has been studying, developing, and implementing tools and practices to control and reduce its water consumption throughout its value chain. For example, many of Dole's farms and packing houses have already implemented drip irrigation and water recycling systems, which contribute to a significant reduction in the consumption of water,” said Sylvain Cuperlier, vice president, director of Worldwide Corporate Social Responsibility at Dole.

A company's water footprint is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the company's goods.

Roberto Vega, manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at Dole and leader of the company’s Carbon Footprint project, said, "Dole is already actively involved in addressing the issue of carbon footprint. Our partnership with the Water Footprint Network will allow us to work a step forward in order to better measure and reduce our overall environmental footprint.”

For more information on the Water Footprint Network, visit www.waterfootprint.org.