Banana label squashed

Some big news for everyone who cares about fairtrade issues this week – the banana-importing company Dole has pulled the 'ethical choice' label from its produce after pressure from Oxfam. This might sound like a pretty small detail, but it's really quite a big deal and shows how consumer pressure can force companies to treat their workers better and be more environmentally sound.

Basically, Dole had been labelling its bananas as 'ethical choice' in a way that made it seem this was a label awarded to them by a third party. In reality it was a label they had invented themselves, a misleading situation which the Commerce Commission warned them about in August last year.

Despite the warning, Dole was looking at at trademarking the 'ethical choice' brand – until fairtrade charity Oxfam released a damning reporting into Dole's labour practices in the Philippines where they grow much of their fruit. Oxfam claimed Dole had sprayed pesticides on plantations while workers were still in the fields, that the company used under-age labour, and that workers wanting to join unions had been harassed.

The 'ethical choice' label has now become a beacon for unwanted attention from consumers for Dole. They announced this week (on May 28) that they were dropping the label – and the company says it is now looking into Oxfam's claims.

Sounds like a win for fairtrade. Voting with your wallet works!

 

(Picture credit: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos)