
DALE Foundation
Health, education, and entrepreneurship are core focus areas for Dole’s community development. Dole’s DALE Foundation (pronounced DAH-leh) carries out important work in the social field. Since 2001, the foundation has channelled over $41 million to fund numerous educational, medical, and community development programs in South America. The funds for these efforts arise from per box contributions received from the banana farms producing Dole products, both independent and company-owned, and by matching funds provided by Dole as an exporter. The DALE Foundation’s philosophy of working with farms, growers, and local stakeholders to forward social programs is an inspiration for Dole’s programs throughout Latin America.
Celebrating over 20 Years of the DALE Foundation
In 2001, Dole set up a foundation in Ecuador with a clear purpose: invest in the lives of workers and communities in and around the banana farms and facilities.
The foundation’s ambition was to improve services in many rural areas and invest in the health and wellness of farmers, and their families. The DALE Foundation addresses social needs in communities that we share in Ecuador, helping to empower people with training, opportunities for second income generation, and increased resiliency in the aftermath of major life-changing events.
DALE has two significant meanings in Spanish. One is simply, “to give”. The other, that further describes the work of the foundation, is a phrase of encouragement: “go ahead, you can do it!”
Jointly funded by Dole and independent growers, the DALE Foundation provides a network of medical resources, such as primary healthcare via on-staff physicians, nurses and dentists, education on preventative health care, vaccination access and important on-site mobile medical clinics. From an educational perspective, the foundation helps contribute to the construction of schools, improvements to existing facilities and advancing nutrition programmes. Additionally, through community investments, DALE helps deliver technical training to develop skills that enable participants with the potential to generate extra household income such as sewing, baking, and gardening.
A great example is Carmen Sandoval, a member of the Los Rios Entrepreneurial Mothers Association in Ecuador, whose group was formed after the foundation-funded sewing training in 2011.
“In the beginning the DALE Foundation helped us and now we have become independent, with our own workshop,” she said. “Our expectation is to continue growing and working for the community, the Dole group, and other companies that rely on our work.”
The DALE Foundation has also funded initiatives that benefit the area at large, meeting basic needs of the community through the construction of roads, warehouse facilities, sports complexes, and equipment to support new entrepreneurs.
Supporting Those Behind the Banana
From its inception, the DALE Foundation has been grounded in the principle that all people have the right to a dignified existence. By committing to support those who work on our Dole-owned farms, independent producers, and all those who live in communities near Dole operations, the DALE Foundation is a critical contributor to the stability of our supply chain.
Ecuador is the largest exporter of bananas in the world thus banana production is a major source of steady employment in the region. Investments made here helps create healthier and more stable communities for these workers, which in turn creates a strong and engaged workforce. Our focus is on improving the lives not just of today’s generation but of generations to come, which is why a portion of Dole’s profit from every box of Dole-branded bananas helps fund these local community impact projects along with contributions from the farms and growers. This funding system ensures that the DALE Foundation’s support for education, health, and community development is sustainable over the long term.
Prioritising Wellness through Healthcare
Healthcare access has been a key priority for the DALE Foundation over the past two decades. Many local communities had been underserved from a medical perspective or had found care both expensive and inaccessible. Our growers have become firm proponents and advocates of regular health maintenance, leading to a stronger and healthier workforce.
During COVID, DALE helped deliver care and supplies to those most affected. Telemedicine was made available as a care option for those unable to travel. Supplies like masks, rapid tests, thermometers, oxygen tanks and heart rate monitors were also provided. DALE’s Executive Director, María Eugenia Castro, noted that the partnership between Dole and the foundation has ensured that even during the pandemic, “we not only continued a running business which guaranteed thousands of jobs, but above all, protected the health and safety of our workers and their families.”
Since 2001, the foundation has recorded 1.8 million health interventions and currently funds 18 medical facilities staffed by nurses, doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. In remote villages, vans serve as mobile medical units which deliver care that previously may not have been available locally – reducing visits to brick-and-mortar medical facilities which helps alleviate wait times for other patients. The vans also provide emergency assistance during catastrophic events such as hurricanes and floods.
“For many of the communities that Dole serves,” says Castro, “the DALE foundation is the only social service they can count on. DALE has improved the quality of life of our workers and the communities where we live.”
Expanding Opportunity through Education
The DALE Foundation’s very first project in 2001 was to construct the Vicente Piedrahita School in the Los Rios province of Ecuador. Construction of a second school, Ecuador País Amazónico, in the Guayas province was funded six years later. The foundation also supports other schools by providing academic and recreational infrastructure improvements, as well as important health and nutrition programs for students.
Farmer Francisco Fiestas Ramirez, who grows organic bananas in the Piura region of Peru, said the foundation funded improvements to his community’s primary school, including bathroom facilities and a water tank that holds and supplies safe, drinkable water. He said that previously, many students failed to finish primary school, and few went on to secondary education. “Now,” he says, “things are changing”. Prioritising school improvements that provide students with a stable, safe and secure environment in which to learn is one of the basic needs that help set up these communities for future success.
Driving progress
The DALE Foundation continues exploring opportunities to expand its reach and resources. We feel encouraged by the progress made in Ecuador but recognise that there is still a long way to go. As we look to extend the benefits of DALE, we also want to better understand the issues faced by the communities in which we operate, so we can better impact our workers and their families and positively impact the environment.
Here at Dole, it’s our mission to make the world a healthier place. We do this by providing consumers with nutritious, responsibly grown produce while improving the lives of all individuals throughout our business. We want to recognize the part that shoppers and everyday consumers play in this important journey. Every time you eat a banana, choose a DOLE® Banana where a percentage of every sale supports banana workers and their families across Latin America.
