Dole Certified for Workplace Standards

BANANA and pineapple farms inCosta Rica owned by fruit-exporting giantDole Food Company, Inc. have beenstamped with a seal of approval for complyingwith international standardsregarding labor rights, worker health andsafety and non-discrimination.The certification, known as the SocialAccountability International SA 8000workplace and human-rights standard, isbased on the International LabourConventions, the United Nations’ UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights and theConvention on Rights of the Child.It covers the cultivation, harvestingand packing of bananas and pineapplesfor export to the United States andEurope.According to a company statement,Dole is committed to expanding its SA8000 certification to all its LatinAmerican operations in 2005.