Wednesday May 29 06:36 NZT
Dole cans banana label after Oxfam claims
Dole
says it will investigate Oxfam claims its Ethical Choice banana labels
are a green-wash but says it is confident it is not misleading
consumers.
15:33 Tue May 28 2013
AAP
Banana importer Dole
says it will stop using the Ethical Choice label while it investigates
claims by Oxfam that Philippines plantation workers are being exploited.
Oxfam has released a hard-hitting report calling for Dole New Zealand to remove the labels from its fruit until it can drastically improve its treatment of workers and the environment.
The report details unethical treatment of workers on Dole's Philippine banana plantations, claiming children aged 15 and younger are working up to 12-hour days in the fields.
Workers have allegedly been harassed for joining a union while others have been aerial sprayed with pesticide while still at work. Environmental degradation is also a significant problem, the report says.
Dole says the report, about the labour and environmental practices of its Philippines division Stanfilco is inaccurate, but it will investigate the claims further.
"If we find any practices that are not in accordance with our policies, those will be corrected promptly," Dole's New Zealand manager Steve Barton said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
However, it wanted more information.
"We have already requested Oxfam to give us access to their researchers so we can begin this process."
While Dole was confident its use of the Ethical Choice label did not mislead or deceive consumers, it would stop using it on future shipments "in order to avoid any controversy and distraction to our business".
Mr Barton said Dole had a long track record of leadership on labour and environmental issues.
"Customers and consumers can be assured that we will continue to uphold the highest standards with or without the Ethical Choice label."
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Barton said Oxfam's report was riddled with mistakes, and said more about Oxfam's "questionable dealings" than it did about Dole.
"This is a commercial move by Oxfam, where they've opted to get behind our competition, the Fair Trade brand, and they're trying to destroy the Dole brand in the process," Mr Barton told NZ Newswire.
Oxfam New Zealand executive director Barry Coates said the revelations were disturbing and required urgent action.
"New Zealand consumers deserve better than company green-washing," he said.
"It's time for Dole to stop making unsupported claims that they are selling ethically produced bananas."
He called for the self-created Ethical Choice label, which the Commerce Commission last year warned may breach the Fair Trading Act, to be removed.
Oxfam has released a hard-hitting report calling for Dole New Zealand to remove the labels from its fruit until it can drastically improve its treatment of workers and the environment.
The report details unethical treatment of workers on Dole's Philippine banana plantations, claiming children aged 15 and younger are working up to 12-hour days in the fields.
Workers have allegedly been harassed for joining a union while others have been aerial sprayed with pesticide while still at work. Environmental degradation is also a significant problem, the report says.
Dole says the report, about the labour and environmental practices of its Philippines division Stanfilco is inaccurate, but it will investigate the claims further.
"If we find any practices that are not in accordance with our policies, those will be corrected promptly," Dole's New Zealand manager Steve Barton said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
However, it wanted more information.
"We have already requested Oxfam to give us access to their researchers so we can begin this process."
While Dole was confident its use of the Ethical Choice label did not mislead or deceive consumers, it would stop using it on future shipments "in order to avoid any controversy and distraction to our business".
Mr Barton said Dole had a long track record of leadership on labour and environmental issues.
"Customers and consumers can be assured that we will continue to uphold the highest standards with or without the Ethical Choice label."
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Barton said Oxfam's report was riddled with mistakes, and said more about Oxfam's "questionable dealings" than it did about Dole.
"This is a commercial move by Oxfam, where they've opted to get behind our competition, the Fair Trade brand, and they're trying to destroy the Dole brand in the process," Mr Barton told NZ Newswire.
Oxfam New Zealand executive director Barry Coates said the revelations were disturbing and required urgent action.
"New Zealand consumers deserve better than company green-washing," he said.
"It's time for Dole to stop making unsupported claims that they are selling ethically produced bananas."
He called for the self-created Ethical Choice label, which the Commerce Commission last year warned may breach the Fair Trading Act, to be removed.
COPY http://news.msn.co.nz
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