Dole PLC

Dole PLC, through its Dole Food Company subsidiary, is a global producer and distributor of fresh fruit, notably bananas and pineapples. Its agricultural operations have been the subject of long-running litigation concerning the use of pesticides alleged to cause human harm. A series of lawsuits filed by thousands of agricultural workers from Nicaragua and the Philippines claimed injuries, including sterility, from exposure to pesticides on Dole banana farms. While some cases were dismissed or overturned on procedural grounds, such as a 2010 U.S. judge overturning a $2.3 million award due to findings of fraud, the underlying allegations of pesticide-related harm have persisted for decades. As of September 2025, a lawsuit concerning the use of toxic chemicals on Central American farms remained active in Hawai'i court, nearly twenty years after it was first filed. The historical pattern of litigation, coupled with ongoing legal proceedings, indicates documented concerns regarding the ecological and human health impacts of pesticide use in Dole's supply chain.