One of the world’s largest food businesses has scrapped the post of director of environmental affairs, held by Sharon Hayes, which included responsibility for co-ordinating the corporation’s social policies.
The decision by the US-based Dole Food Company is understood to have been made at the behest of the new president and chief operating officer Lawrence Kern.
Unions have described the move as a backward step for the company which had recently begun to take some account of social and environmental issues. ‘We view this downgrading of Dole’s CSR staffing as a clear indication that the company is failing to take its social and environmental responsibilities seriously,’ said Ron Oswald, general secretary of the international foodworkers’ union, IUF.
‘Dole already stands out as a company with a considerable deficit in this area and that situation is now likely to become even worse as a result of these staff changes. The restructuring appears to confirm that Dole is not determined to make a serious effort at placing social and environmental issues high on its lists of priorities.’
Dole said there was no question of CSR dropping off the company’s agenda. ‘Nothing has changed in terms of our commitment to sound environmental and social practices,’ Dole told EP. ‘The responsibilities that were formerly vested in the position held by Sharon Hayes have been re-allocated to permit our regional staff greater autonomy in responding to local issues. We’re basically talking about a re-allocation of responsibilities.’
Hayes, who has left the company, was not available for comment.
Dole, which had a turnover of £3.3billion ($4.8bn) last year, employs 50,000 people in more than 100 countries and is the world’s largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables. Last year it announced that it would be seeking certification under the SA8000 ethical trading standard. As an SA8000 signatory Dole has committed itself to adopt the standard ‘over time’ and to report annually on its progress towards that goal.
The IUF says the company is the least unionized of the transnational banana companies in Latin America and has criticized working conditions at farms in Ecuador which supply Dole with bananas.