Dole Selects Seven Community-Focused Projects in 2025-26 Harvesting Dreams Program to Advance Global Sustainability Goals
Dole Food Company has announced the selection of seven winning projects under the 2025-26 edition of its Harvesting Dreams program, an employee-led global innovation initiative designed to transform grassroots ideas into meaningful sustainability projects. The selected initiatives will be implemented across the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, reinforcing Dole’s commitment to creating long-term social, environmental, and economic value in the communities where it operates.
The Harvesting Dreams program reflects Dole’s belief that employees working closest to its farms, ports, production facilities, and local communities are best positioned to identify opportunities that can deliver lasting positive change. By encouraging staff to develop practical solutions to local challenges, the company continues to strengthen its sustainability agenda while fostering innovation from within its workforce.
A Sustainability Program Built Around Local Innovation
Originally launched in 2021, Harvesting Dreams was established as part of The Dole Way, the company’s global sustainability framework. The framework is centered on three strategic pillars—For People, For Food, and For Nature—which guide Dole’s efforts to improve livelihoods, strengthen food systems, and protect natural resources throughout its global operations.
The latest edition attracted more than 25 project proposals from employee teams representing different countries and business units. After a comprehensive review process, seven projects were selected based on their expected social and environmental impact, innovation, feasibility, and alignment with Dole’s sustainability priorities.
Unlike traditional corporate sustainability programs that are often designed at the executive level, Harvesting Dreams empowers employees to identify local needs and propose practical solutions. This approach allows community-driven ideas to evolve into structured initiatives capable of delivering measurable benefits over the long term.
Leadership Highlights Employee-Driven Impact
Commenting on the announcement, Nelson Montoya, President of Dole Fresh Fruit North America, emphasized that the success of Harvesting Dreams lies in the knowledge and experience of Dole’s own workforce.
According to Montoya, employees possess firsthand understanding of their communities, agricultural operations, logistics networks, and environmental challenges. Their insights make it possible to develop projects that go beyond theoretical concepts and instead address real-world issues affecting education, healthcare, environmental protection, and community development.
He noted that the seven selected initiatives demonstrate how employee innovation can translate into tangible improvements while supporting Dole’s broader sustainability vision through The Dole Way.
Seven Winning Projects Across Five Countries
The selected initiatives cover a broad range of community needs, reflecting the diversity of Dole’s global operations.
United States – Bobby’s Classroom Connections
The U.S. project focuses on strengthening education while promoting nutrition awareness and corporate volunteer engagement. The initiative aims to support vulnerable school communities by providing educational resources and encouraging Dole employees to actively participate in community development programs.
The inclusion of a U.S.-based project also represents a significant milestone for Harvesting Dreams, marking the program’s expansion beyond Latin America for the first time.
Guatemala – Integrated Public Pharmacy
In Guatemala, the winning project seeks to improve public healthcare by supporting access to essential medicines and pharmacy services. The initiative is designed to strengthen healthcare availability within local communities, helping residents receive better medical support through improved public health infrastructure.
Honduras – AGROPOR Medical System
One of Honduras’ selected projects focuses on expanding healthcare access for Dole employees and their families. The AGROPOR Medical System aims to provide on-site medical assistance, allowing workers to receive faster healthcare services while promoting preventive care and overall well-being.
Honduras – Our Water Sources, Our Future
The second Honduran project centers on environmental conservation through the protection of micro-watersheds. Sustainable management of local water resources is expected to improve long-term water security while helping preserve ecosystems that support both agriculture and surrounding communities.
Costa Rica – Targeted Weed Management
Costa Rica’s agricultural innovation project introduces more sustainable weed management practices for pineapple production. By adopting targeted approaches, the initiative aims to improve farm efficiency while reducing environmental impact and supporting more sustainable agricultural operations.
Costa Rica – With You at Home
Another Costa Rican initiative focuses on enhancing quality of life through housing improvements, family gardens, and expanded employee volunteer programs. The project combines social development with community engagement, encouraging employees to contribute directly to neighborhood improvement efforts.
Ecuador – Clean Water Access for La Victoria Community
The Ecuadorian project seeks to improve sustainable access to safe drinking water within the La Victoria community. Reliable clean water infrastructure is expected to enhance public health while supporting broader community development objectives.
Multi-Year Implementation Strategy
Implementation schedules will differ depending on the scope and location of each project. Dole expects work to begin during the second half of 2026, with all seven initiatives targeted for full implementation by December 2028.
This multi-year approach allows each project to be developed carefully in collaboration with local communities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and technical experts.
Rather than delivering short-term interventions, Harvesting Dreams is intended to establish solutions capable of generating sustainable, long-lasting benefits.
Rigorous Selection Process
Each proposal underwent several stages of evaluation before final approval.
Initially, employee teams received guidance from their respective Sustainability Operating Committees, which helped refine project concepts and assess their feasibility.
The proposals were then reviewed by country-level Steering Committees consisting of managers and organizational leaders responsible for evaluating strategic value and local impact.
Final decisions were made by Dole’s Executive Sustainability Committee, chaired by the President of Dole Fresh Fruit.
Projects were assessed using multiple evaluation criteria, including:
- Expected benefits for communities, employees, and the environment
- Alignment with The Dole Way sustainability strategy
- Contribution toward relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Innovation and practical feasibility
- Cross-functional collaboration among employee teams
- Strength of external partnerships
- Risk management planning
- Clearly defined performance indicators to measure long-term success
This structured review process ensures that selected initiatives can deliver measurable outcomes while supporting Dole’s broader sustainability commitments.
Employee Engagement Remains Central
One of the winning team members, Sarah Marsh, Director of Terminal Operations at Dole’s Port of San Diego, described the recognition as both meaningful and motivating.
She expressed appreciation for being part of a program that encourages learning, professional growth, and community service. Marsh also highlighted her enthusiasm for using the opportunity to inspire others while contributing to positive change within the communities Dole serves.
Her comments reflect the broader philosophy behind Harvesting Dreams, which places employees at the center of corporate sustainability efforts rather than positioning them solely as participants in company-led initiatives.
Collaboration Beyond the Company
Harvesting Dreams follows a public-private-community partnership model that extends beyond Dole’s own operations.
Projects are developed through collaboration with local governments, community organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, research institutions, and specialized technical partners.
This collaborative approach helps ensure that projects remain locally relevant while benefiting from external expertise and shared resources. By combining corporate investment with community participation, Dole aims to create solutions that continue delivering value long after implementation.
Building on Earlier Successes
The newly selected projects build upon achievements from the inaugural Harvesting Dreams program introduced in 2021.
Earlier initiatives delivered measurable improvements across multiple countries, including the restoration of strategic micro-watersheds in Honduras, expanded access to safe drinking water for local families, installation of cleaner cooking stoves in Guatemala, greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives within Costa Rica’s pineapple operations, and enhanced medical services for employees.
These accomplishments demonstrated that employee-generated ideas can successfully evolve into impactful sustainability programs benefiting both communities and business operations.
Continuing the Journey Toward Sustainable Growth
As Dole continues advancing The Dole Way, Harvesting Dreams has become an important platform for translating employee creativity into real-world action. The program not only encourages innovation across the company’s global workforce but also strengthens relationships with local communities through projects that address education, healthcare, environmental conservation, agriculture, housing, and access to clean water.
By expanding the initiative into the United States while continuing to invest across Latin America, Dole is reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development on a broader international scale. With implementation set to continue through 2028, the company expects these seven projects to generate measurable social and environmental benefits while demonstrating how employee-led innovation can play a central role in building stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities.
About Dole Food Company
Dole Food Company, part of Dole plc, is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education.
