Westlake Village, CA - November 20, 2000

Dole Fresh Flowers, Inc., a subsidiary of Dole Food Company, Inc. (NYSE: DOL), announced today that it has selected World Commerce Online to integrate Dole's legacy system with a Branded Trading Community, which World Commerce Online will customize to Dole Fresh Flowers' specifications. Dole intends to use World Commerce Online's e-commerce business solutions as an efficient selling tool to their wholesale and mass-market retail fresh-cut flowers customers in North America, and a communication tool to expand their customer relationship management capabilities.

World Commerce Online's branded trading solution will enable Dole to further optimize its brand and competitive position as the leading supplier of fresh cut flowers in North America. It provides Dole with web-enabled functionality including making inventory available to customers on a continuous basis on the Internet. Additionally, it provides Dole with enhanced marketing capability with their online fresh-cut flower customers, including announcements of new varieties using secure, personalized Internet-based solutions with a suite of integrated supply chain applications.

Joe Dugan, President of World Commerce Online, said, "We are very excited about working with Dole Fresh Flowers in delivering a complete, branded e-commerce solution customized to fit their specific business needs. Both companies have enjoyed the benefits of working together in the development of World Commerce Online's Internet trading platforms, and this undertaking represents the next step in what will continue to be a prosperous working relationship."

David DeLorenzo, Dole Food Company, Inc.'s President and Chief Operating Officer, said, "With World Commerce Online's new e-commerce business solutions, we have an opportunity to provide our fresh-cut flower customers with a user-friendly buying tool which will help strengthen the business relationships we have cultivated over many years. After working with World Commerce Online on the Floraplex product development, we are very excited by the opportunity that this will provide for Dole to begin business-to-business floral transactions on the Internet."

About World Commerce Online:Founded in 1994, World Commerce Online (OTCBB: World Commerce Online) is a technology company that enables businesses in the perishable products industry with e-commerce technology solutions. With its Global, Branded and Private Trading Communities, World Commerce Online provides its customers with access to global markets while providing maximum security and data integrity and complete control over their sensitive business information. World Commerce Online's FreshPlex Technologies' currently power Floraplex, the B2B e-commerce solution for the estimated $150 billion worldwide floriculture industry, and ProduceOnline.com for the estimated $550 billion worldwide produce industry, along with numerous Branded and Private Trading Communities throughout the perishable products industries. World Commerce Online maintains offices in Florida, California, Colombia, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Israel, Kenya, and France. For more information about World Commerce On

About Dole Food Company, Inc.:Dole Food Company, Inc. with 1999 revenues of $5.1 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers, and markets a growing line of packaged foods.

This release is intended as a forward-looking statement within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, development and results of the Company's business include but are not limited to (1) the ability to provide e-commerce technology in the future , (2) unexpected changes in the e-commerce/internet market, (3) the success of the Company's expansion and sales and marketing strategies, (4) competition within the e-commerce internet market, (5) the ability of the Company to continue to finance its long-term strategy and expansion, and (6) the ability of the Company to motivate and retain the services of its key personnel and hire additional qualified personnel to meet evolving staffing needs.

Forward-looking statements, which are based on Dole management's current expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of terms such as "believe," "will," "continue," and similar expressions. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include weather-related phenomena; market responses to industry volume pressures; product and raw materials supplies and pricing; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; economic crises in developing countries; and quotas, tariffs and other governmental actions. Further information on the factors that could affect Dole Food Company, Inc.'s financial results is included in its Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report and Form 10K.