Dole Sunshine Co. announced the results of a survey late last month which revealed that a third of U.S. consumers make no effort to reduce food waste at home. In an effort to educate consumers about food waste, the company is launching the second in a series of marketing campaigns called Malnutrition Labels.
Dole Sunshine is the name used for the company’s Asian operations. It is a unit of holding company Dole Food Co.
The survey was commissioned as part of the Westlake Village company’s ongoing consumer education efforts on food insecurity. Last year, the company announced the Dole Promise to make nutritious foods accessible for 1 billion people, and move towards zero fruit loss and zero fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025, as well as net zero carbon emissions by 2030. As part of the promise, the company introduced its original Malnutrition Label in a series of light projections meant to call attention to alarming nutritional issues. The new labels aim to transform the symbol of waste into a valuable tool supporting waste reduction and fighting hunger, appearing on smart waste and recycling bins, trash bags and waste removal trucks.
“At the Dole Sunshine Company, we believe that good nutrition is a human right. Like sunshine, it should be accessible, affordable, and available to all,” Pier Luigi Sigismondi, president of Dole Food & Beverages Group, said in a statement. “However, around the world, even in developed countries, this is not the reality due to a gap between food (what is produced), and feed (what is available for consumption). Raising awareness, educating the consumer and taking action to reduce food waste is critical to our promise to provide access to good nutrition to 1 billion people by 2025.”
Each label features facts about nutrition, food insecurity and food waste across the U.S. and offers a link to Dole’s website and Zero Waste Guide that includes tips, recipes and other tools for consumers to reduce food waste in their homes.Â
The campaign kicked off in New York City in partnership with City Harvest, New York’s first and largest food rescue organization.
“We are excited to partner with Dole Sunshine Company to highlight the importance of reducing food waste – a principle that City Harvest was founded on. As New York City, and the world, continues to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for nutritious food remains high. It will take everyone working together – including consumers, nonprofits and the private sector – to reduce food waste and help feed our neighbors in need,” Rebecca Fontes, director of business partnerships for City Harvest, said in a statement.