Dole plc (DOLE): Análisis PESTLE [Actualizado en Ene-2025]

En el mundo dinámico de la agricultura global, Dole PLC está en la intersección de desafíos complejos y soluciones innovadoras, navegando por un panorama formado por intrincadas fuerzas políticas, económicas y ambientales. Desde las plantaciones de plátano bañadas en el sol de América Latina hasta la tecnología de vanguardia que transforma la producción de alimentos, este análisis de mano presenta el ecosistema multifacético que impulsa a una de las principales empresas de frutas y productos del mundo. Prepárese para sumergirse profundamente en la intrincada red de factores que influyen en las decisiones estratégicas de Dole, el posicionamiento del mercado y el futuro sostenible en un mercado global cada vez más interconectado.

Dole PLC (Dole) - Análisis de mortero: factores políticos

Regulaciones comerciales agrícolas complejas globales

A partir de 2024, Dole enfrenta desafíos significativos con las regulaciones comerciales internacionales. Estados Unidos impuso aranceles de importación agrícola que van del 12% al 25% en varias categorías de frutas en 2023. Las estadísticas clave de la regulación comercial incluyen:

País	Tasa de tarifa de importación	Categorías de productos afectados
Estados Unidos	17.5%	Frutas tropicales
unión Europea	14.2%	Plátanos y piñas
Porcelana	22.3%	Productos tropicales mixtos

Escrutinio del gobierno sobre prácticas agrícolas sostenibles

Los requisitos de cumplimiento regulatorio para la agricultura sostenible han aumentado dramáticamente:

• Objetivos de reducción de emisiones de carbono: 35% para 2030
• Mandatos de conservación del agua: Reducción del 40% en el uso de agua agrícola
• Requisitos de certificación orgánica: procesos de verificación más estrictos

Tensiones comerciales que afectan la dinámica de importación/exportación de frutas

Las tensiones geopolíticas actuales impactan las operaciones comerciales internacionales de Dole:

Región	Impacto de restricción comercial	Consecuencia económica
América Latina	Reducción del volumen de exportación	7.3% de disminución en las exportaciones de frutas
Sudeste de Asia	Aumento de las barreras de importación	12.5% ​​más altos costos de cumplimiento de la importación

Inestabilidad política en las regiones de producción

Evaluación de riesgos políticos para regiones de producción clave:

• Costa Rica: Índice de estabilidad política 6.2/10
• Filipinas: prima de riesgo político 4.7%
• Ecuador: Factor de incertidumbre política del gobierno 0.65

Dole PLC (Dole) - Análisis de mortero: factores económicos

Fluctuando los precios de los productos básicos que afectan la rentabilidad agrícola

A partir del cuarto trimestre de 2023, los precios globales de banana fluctuaron entre $ 12.50 y $ 15.75 por caja de 40 libras. Los precios de los productos básicos de piña experimentaron un índice de volatilidad del 7.3% durante el mismo período.

Producto	Rango de precios (2023)	Volatilidad de los precios
Plátanos	$ 12.50 - $ 15.75/40 lb caja	5.6%
Piña	$ 8.25 - $ 11.40/caja	7.3%

Volatilidad del tipo de cambio de divisas

La exposición a la moneda impacta las fuentes de ingresos internacionales de Dole:

Divisa	Fluctuación del tipo de cambio (2023)	Impacto en los ingresos
USD/Costa Rican Colón	±4.2%	$ 37.6 millones
USD/Peso filipino	±3.8%	$ 28.9 millones

Creciente costos de producción

Aumentos mundiales de costos de producción agrícola para 2023:

• Costos de fertilizantes: aumento del 12.4%
• Gastos laborales: aumento del 8,7%
• Transporte: 9.2% Surge

Categoría de costos	2023 aumento	Impacto total en el costo
Fertilizante	12.4%	$ 45.3 millones
Mano de obra	8.7%	$ 33.6 millones

Demanda de productos alimenticios orgánicos y sostenibles

Datos de mercado para productos orgánicos en 2023:

Categoría de productos	Crecimiento del mercado	Generación de ingresos
Plátanos orgánicos	15.6%	$ 278.4 millones
Piñas sostenibles	12.3%	$ 196.7 millones

Dole PLC (Dole) - Análisis de mortero: factores sociales

Creciente preferencia del consumidor por productos saludables y frescos

Según la Asociación de Marketing de Productos, el 93% de los consumidores en 2023 priorizaron los productos frescos por razones de salud. El mercado mundial de productos frescos se valoró en $ 1.2 billones en 2023, con una tasa compuesta anual proyectada de 4.5% hasta 2028.

Segmento de consumo	Consumo de productos frescos (2023)	Tasa de crecimiento anual
Millennials	38.2%	5.7%
Gen Z	32.6%	6.3%
Gen X	22.4%	3.9%

Aumento de la conciencia del comercio justo y las prácticas agrícolas éticas

Los productos certificados de comercio justo aumentaron en un 14,2% en 2023, con los consumidores dispuestos a pagar una prima del 15-20% por productos de origen ético.

Certificación de comercio justo	Valor de mercado global (2023)	Crecimiento año tras año
Mercado total de comercio justo	$ 11.6 mil millones	14.2%
Productos agrícolas	$ 6.3 mil millones	12.8%

Cambios demográficos hacia el consumo de alimentos nutricionales y a base de plantas

El mercado de alimentos a base de plantas alcanzó los $ 29.4 mil millones en 2023, con un crecimiento anual del 11.8%. El 47% de los consumidores informaron aumentar el consumo de alimentos a base de plantas.

Categoría basada en plantas	Tamaño del mercado (2023)	Índice de crecimiento
Frutas & Verduras	$ 12.7 mil millones	13.2%
Proteínas a base de plantas	$ 8.3 mil millones	10.5%

Rising Poblaciones de clase media en los mercados emergentes que impulsan la demanda de frutas

Los mercados emergentes mostraron un aumento del 6.4% en el consumo de frutas. La región de Asia-Pacífico representaba el 42% de la demanda mundial de frutas en 2023.

Región	Consumo de frutas (2023)	Crecimiento de la población de clase media
Asia-Pacífico	42% de la demanda global	5.9%
América Latina	22% de la demanda global	4.3%
Oriente Medio & África	15% de la demanda global	3.7%

Dole PLC (Dole) - Análisis de mortero: factores tecnológicos

Tecnologías agrícolas de precisión

Dole invirtió $ 42.3 millones en tecnologías agrícolas de precisión en 2023. La compañía desplegó 1,247 sensores IoT en 37,000 hectáreas de tierras agrícolas para monitorear la salud de los cultivos, la humedad del suelo y las condiciones ambientales.

Tipo de tecnología	Monto de la inversión	Área de cobertura	Mejora de la eficiencia
Monitoreo de cultivos de drones	$ 8.7 millones	12,500 hectáreas	17.3% de aumento de rendimiento de cultivos
Imágenes satelitales	$ 6.5 millones	24,600 hectáreas	14.6% de conservación del agua
Redes de sensores de suelo	$ 5.1 millones	9.800 hectáreas	22.4% de optimización de fertilizantes

Sistemas de seguimiento de la cadena de suministro

Dole implementó sistemas de trazabilidad basados ​​en Blockchain con una inversión de $ 27.6 millones en 2023. El sistema cubre el 98.4% de su cadena de suministro global, rastreando 3,2 millones de toneladas métricas de productos anualmente.

Tecnología de seguimiento	Costo de implementación	Porcentaje de cobertura	Precisión de la trazabilidad
Seguimiento de blockchain	$ 27.6 millones	98.4%	99.7% de precisión en tiempo real

Plataformas de marketing digital

Dole asignó $ 19.4 millones a plataformas de marketing digital directa a consumidor en 2023. Las plataformas digitales generaron $ 87.6 millones en ventas en línea directas, lo que representa un aumento del 24.3% de 2022.

Automatización y robótica

La compañía invirtió $ 63.2 millones en automatización del procesamiento agrícola en 2023. Procesa de sistemas robóticos actuales 72,500 toneladas métricas de productos mensuales con un 94.6% de eficiencia operativa.

Tipo de automatización	Inversión	Capacidad de procesamiento	Tasa de eficiencia
Envases de robots	$ 28.7 millones	42,300 toneladas/mes	96.2%
Máquinas de clasificación	$ 34.5 millones	30,200 toneladas/mes	93.1%

Dole PLC (Dole) - Análisis de mortero: factores legales

Regulaciones estrictas de seguridad alimentaria y control de calidad

Dole PLC enfrenta regulaciones integrales de seguridad alimentaria en múltiples jurisdicciones:

Cuerpo regulador	Regulación clave	Costo de cumplimiento (anual)
FDA (Estados Unidos)	Ley de modernización de seguridad alimentaria	$ 4.7 millones
Autoridad europea de seguridad alimentaria	Regulación (EC) No 178/2002	3.2 millones de euros
Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de China	Ley de seguridad alimentaria	¥ 6.5 millones

Cumplimiento de los estándares ambientales y laborales internacionales

Métricas de cumplimiento de los estándares laborales:

• Granjas certificadas de comercio justo: 87 ubicaciones
• Fuerza laboral cubierta por acuerdos internacionales laborales: 92%
• Inversión anual en cumplimiento estándar laboral: $ 12.3 millones

Protección de propiedad intelectual para innovaciones agrícolas

Categoría de IP	Número de patentes	Gastos anuales de protección de IP
Biotecnología agrícola	37 patentes activas	$ 2.8 millones
Modificación genética de cultivos	22 innovaciones registradas	$ 1.9 millones

Aumento de requisitos reglamentarios para prácticas agrícolas sostenibles

Métricas de cumplimiento de la agricultura sostenible:

• Objetivos de reducción de emisiones de carbono: 35% para 2030
• Inversiones de conservación del agua: $ 5.6 millones anuales
• Cobertura de certificación orgánica: 64 sitios agrícolas

El gasto de cumplimiento legal representa aproximadamente el 4.2% del presupuesto operativo total de Dole PLC.

Dole PLC (Dole) - Análisis de mortero: factores ambientales

Impactos del cambio climático en la producción agrícola y la resiliencia de los cultivos

La producción agrícola de Dole enfrenta importantes desafíos de cambio climático, con reducciones de rendimiento de cultivos proyectados de 10-25% en las regiones clave para 2030.

Tipo de cultivo	Reducción de rendimiento proyectado (%)	Impacto económico anual estimado ($)
Plátanos	17.3%	42.6 millones
Piña	15.7%	35.9 millones
Frutas tropicales	19.2%	53.4 millones

Creciente énfasis en métodos agrícolas sostenibles y regenerativos

Dole ha comprometido $ 124.5 millones a iniciativas de agricultura sostenible, dirigida a la agricultura 100% sostenible para 2025.

Métrica de sostenibilidad	Progreso actual (%)	Año objetivo
Agricultura regenerativa	42%	2025
Agricultura orgánica	28%	2025
Granjas neutrales en carbono	19%	2030

Conservación y gestión del agua en operaciones agrícolas

Dole implementa estrategias avanzadas de gestión del agua, reduciendo el consumo de agua en un 37,6% en las operaciones globales.

Región	Agua ahorrada (millones de galones)	Mejora de la eficiencia de riego (%)
América Latina	124.3	45%
Asia	98.7	39%
África	56.2	33%

Reducción de la huella de carbono en las redes globales de producción y distribución

Dole ha invertido $ 86.3 millones en tecnologías de reducción de carbono, apuntando al 50% de reducción de emisiones para 2030.

Estrategia de reducción de emisiones	Inversión ($)	Potencial de reducción de CO2 (toneladas)
Transporte eléctrico	42.5 millones	78,600
Adopción de energía renovable	29.8 millones	65,400
Optimización del embalaje	14.0 millones	32,100

Dole plc (DOLE) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

Rising Consumer Demand for Organic, Locally-Sourced, and Ready-to-Eat Fresh Produce Drives Product Innovation

You are seeing a clear shift in consumer behavior where convenience and clean labels are now defintely non-negotiable. This translates directly into a massive opportunity for Dole plc in the value-added segment (ready-to-eat) and organic categories. The global ready-to-eat food market size stood at a staggering $398.25 billion in 2025 and is projected to expand at a 6.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) through 2030. Dole plc is well-positioned here, as fruit is inherently convenient, but the company must continue to invest in pre-cut, packaged options to meet the demand from time-constrained, health-conscious consumers.

The organic trend is also accelerating, moving from a niche market to a mainstream preference. The United States organic food market, a key region for Dole plc, is estimated to be around US$65.55 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at a strong CAGR of 10.35% during the 2025-2033 period. Dole plc is responding by expanding its organic offerings, notably in bananas and pineapples, which is a smart move because it aligns with the values of socially and environmentally conscious shoppers.

Health and Wellness Trends Increase Per Capita Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Developed Markets

The long-term tailwind for the fresh produce industry remains the global health and wellness movement, where consumers increasingly view food as medicine. Dole plc's core mission to increase per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables directly taps into this macro-trend. Still, economic pressures are creating headwinds, particularly in the US market.

Here's the quick math on developed market consumption trends for 2025:

Metric	US Market (2025 Projection)	European Market (2025 Projection)
Per Capita Consumption (Annual)	Projected to fall slightly to 634.8 pounds	Overall EU consumption stagnates around 350 grams/day (below WHO 400g/day)
Market Value (Annual)	N/A (Focus on Consumption Volume)	USD 232.87 billion, growing at a 3.83% CAGR (2025-2033)
Key Driver	Underlying health interest, tempered by inflation and high prices	Public health nutrition guidelines and diverse culinary traditions

What this estimate hides is that while the US consumption volume is slightly down due to affordability concerns, the underlying demand for healthy options is strong. In Europe, the market value is still expanding, showing that consumers are spending more on produce, even if the volume per person is below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended minimum.

Ethical Sourcing and Fair Labor Practices are Now Non-Negotiable for Major US and European Retailers

Retailers are now demanding full transparency from suppliers like Dole plc, making ethical sourcing a cost of entry, not a differentiator. This is driven by new regulations and consumer activism. Dole plc is actively addressing this, especially in its global supply chains, where human rights and worker welfare are a priority.

The company is making concrete commitments to meet these rising social standards:

• Conducting its first double materiality assessment (DMA) in 2025 to align with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
• Aiming to implement a social standard across all third-party supply chains by the end of 2025.
• Maintaining a cumulative social investment through the DALE Foundation of over $50 million by 2025, focused on health, education, and entrepreneurship in its communities.

For Dole plc, a failure to adhere to these stringent standards, especially on issues like forced labor and child labor, carries severe financial and reputational risk, so this focus is a strategic necessity.

Shifting Demographics in Asia Offer a Huge, Growing Market for Exotic and Imported Fruits

Asia is the single largest growth opportunity for imported fresh fruit, driven by a growing middle class and rapid urbanization. This demographic shift is creating huge demand for premium, exotic, and imported fruits that Dole plc specializes in. Asia's total fresh fruit imports grew by a substantial 10.2% in 2024, reaching a total of 17.3 million tonnes.

This growth is particularly strong in the exotic fruit segment, a category where Dole plc is a prominent global player. The global exotic fruits market is expected to grow from $13.7 billion in 2023 to $22.3 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 5.5%, and Asia Pacific is expected to hold a major share of this market. The focus on convenience in Asia, driven by urbanization, also favors modern retail channels like supermarkets and hypermarkets, which are the primary distribution points for Dole plc's products.

Dole plc (DOLE) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

You need to see technology not just as an expense, but as the only way to manage the dual pressures of climate risk and rising labor costs in fresh produce. Dole plc's strategy for 2025 is clear: invest in digital tools to drive efficiency from the farm all the way to the store shelf. The total cash capital expenditures from continuing operations for the first six months of 2025 stood at $72.2 million, and a significant portion of this is funding the technology-driven shift in farming, logistics, and processing. That's the real number we are working with.

Investment in precision agriculture (e.g., drone-based crop monitoring) improves yield and reduces water use.

Dole plc is actively deploying precision agriculture (AgTech) to manage its vast, globally diversified acreage. This isn't just about drones, though aerial monitoring is defintely a part of the trend; it's about using data to manage inputs like water and fertilizer with surgical precision. The goal here is simple: extract more yield from less resource input, which is critical as water scarcity becomes a major risk in high-risk sourcing regions.

The company's capital expenditures for the first half of 2025 included explicit 'farming investments,' which fund these AgTech rollouts. For instance, the commitment to water stewardship is a direct result of this technological push. The near-term target is to establish capacity building programs to promote optimized water stewardship practices with 70% of third-party suppliers in high water risk areas by the end of 2025. Longer term, the company aims to reduce water usage by 10% overall on all Dole-owned farms in high-risk areas by 2030. That's a measurable, technology-enabled goal.

Blockchain technology is being adopted to enhance supply chain transparency and food traceability.

The need for rapid food safety response is a major technological driver, and blockchain (a distributed, immutable ledger system) is the solution. Dole plc has a clear, near-term goal to implement blockchain product-tagging technology and/or advanced traceability solutions in all Dole divisions by the end of 2025. This is a crucial move for risk mitigation.

The core benefit is speed. Traditional, paper-based traceability can take weeks to trace a contaminated product back to its source farm. By leveraging technology like the IBM Food Trust network, Dole plc can cut that investigation time down to mere seconds. This capability is a competitive advantage, giving retailers and consumers confidence in the event of a recall. Honestly, this level of transparency is quickly becoming table stakes, not a premium feature.

Advanced cold chain logistics and ripening technology extend shelf life, reducing spoilage and waste.

The cold chain (the temperature-controlled supply chain) is where you fight the war on food waste. Dole plc's investments in 'warehouse and logistics assets, particularly in Northern Europe' in H1 2025 are directly tied to optimizing this chain. Better logistics, coupled with advanced ripening technology-like controlled atmosphere storage and specialized packaging-means produce arrives fresher and lasts longer for the consumer.

The financial impact of this technology is huge, as it directly reduces shrink (product loss). The company's overall waste management goal is to reduce food waste in harvesting and processing systems by 50% by 2030, a target that can only be met by deploying new cold chain and processing technologies. Plus, the commitment to make 100% of Dole packaging across divisions either recyclable or compostable by 2025 requires significant material science and processing technology innovation.

Technological Focus Area	2025 Target / Financial Metric	Strategic Impact
Capital Expenditure (H1 2025)	$72.2 million (Cash CapEx from continuing operations)	Funding for all major technology and efficiency projects.
Supply Chain Traceability (Blockchain)	Implementation in all Dole divisions by 2025	Cuts food safety investigation time from weeks to seconds.
Precision Agriculture (Water Stewardship)	70% of 3rd party suppliers in high-risk areas to have optimized water practices by 2025	Mitigates climate risk and reduces resource input costs.
Waste Management (Packaging Innovation)	100% of packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2025	Reduces environmental footprint and meets consumer/regulatory demands.

Automation in packing and processing plants is essential to offset rising labor costs.

Labor is a persistent, rising cost, and the only long-term solution is automation. Dole plc's financial results mention 'efficiency projects in our warehouses' as a component of the 2025 capital spending. These projects focus on automating repetitive, high-volume tasks in packing and processing plants, which is a global trend driven by the projected $15.5 billion market for automatic PLC-controlled packing machines by 2025.

The investment in automation, from robotic palletizers to automated sorting and grading systems, is a direct hedge against wage inflation and labor shortages. It also improves product consistency, which reduces waste. Here's the quick math: a one-time capital investment in a high-speed sorter can replace the equivalent of several full-time employees, delivering a clear return on investment (ROI) over a short payback period, often under two years for high-throughput facilities.

• Automate sorting to improve speed.
• Use robotics for repetitive packing tasks.
• Focus efficiency projects on high-volume product lines.

Dole plc (DOLE) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

Stricter food safety regulations (e.g., FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety) require continuous compliance investment.

The fresh produce industry operates under intense regulatory scrutiny, and compliance is not a fixed cost, but a continuous investment. The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative, which focuses on tech-enabled traceability and smarter prevention, is the main driver here. It forces a significant capital outlay to upgrade systems from farm to fork.

For fiscal year 2025, Dole plc has a guidance for maintenance capital expenditure of approximately $100.0 million, which must absorb these continuous compliance costs. For example, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, $16.8 million of capital expenditure was allocated to farming investments, warehouse efficiency projects, and ongoing investments in IT and logistics assets. These are the exact areas where traceability and food safety technology upgrades-like blockchain-enabled tracking-are implemented. If you fail to invest here, the risk of a product recall and subsequent litigation is a massive, defintely uninsurable liability.

• Mandatory investment in tech-enabled traceability systems.
• Continuous training for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
• Risk of litigation and brand damage from foodborne illness outbreaks.

Antitrust scrutiny in the US and EU regarding market concentration in the fresh produce sector is a constant factor.

Regulators in major markets like the US and EU are increasingly aggressive in scrutinizing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that could lead to market concentration, even for vertical or non-traditional mergers. This is a direct headwind for any growth strategy that relies on large-scale consolidation.

The most concrete example of this risk is the abandoned sale of Dole plc's Fresh Vegetable Division. The deal, valued at $308 million, was mutually terminated on March 28, 2024, because the US Department of Justice (DOJ) signaled its intent to sue to block the transaction. The DOJ was concerned this would create an alleged 3-to-2 reduction in competition in the packaged salad market, a product purchased by over 85% of American households. This shows that even divestitures are subject to intense scrutiny, making strategic portfolio changes more complex and costly.

Here's the quick math: a failed deal means the company absorbed all the M&A legal and advisory fees without realizing the $308 million in proceeds until a later, separate sale.

Data privacy laws (like GDPR) apply to customer and supply chain data, increasing compliance complexity.

Operating in over 85 countries means Dole plc must navigate a complex patchwork of global data privacy regulations, including the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This isn't just about consumer data; it also covers vast amounts of employee and supply chain data.

Non-compliance with GDPR carries a maximum fine of up to €20 million or 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is higher. Beyond direct privacy, the EU's new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is forcing a new level of data collection and disclosure. In 2025, Dole plc is conducting its first double materiality assessment (DMA) to comply with CSRD, a massive, cross-functional data-gathering exercise that falls under the legal and governance umbrella.

International contract law governs thousands of supplier and distributor agreements globally.

Dole plc's business model is built on a vertically integrated supply chain that spans the globe, operating out of 30 countries and serving customers in over 85 countries. This requires a massive network of contracts governing everything from farming and shipping to distribution and sales.

The sheer volume of these agreements-which number in the thousands-means the legal risk is distributed across multiple jurisdictions, each with its own commercial code, labor laws, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Furthermore, the company faces specific legal-financial obligations from its global structure, such as expected repatriation tax payments for the remainder of fiscal year 2025 totaling $16.9 million. This table illustrates the scale of the contractual and compliance challenge:

Metric	Value (Fiscal Year 2025 Context)	Legal Implication
Countries of Operation	30	Requires multi-jurisdictional contract and labor law expertise.
Countries Served	Over 85	Governs thousands of international distribution and sales contracts.
Facilities in Supply Chain	Over 250	Each facility is subject to local permitting, environmental, and labor laws.
Repatriation Tax Payment	$16.9 million (Expected remainder of FY 2025)	Concrete cost of managing international tax law and cash flow.

The complexity of international contract law is a constant operational risk, especially around force majeure clauses and dispute resolution, given the volatility in global shipping and commodity markets.

Dole plc (DOLE) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

Climate change impacts, like extreme weather events, directly threaten crop yields in Central America and Africa.

The physical risks from a changing climate are not abstract for a global fresh produce giant like Dole plc; they are a direct threat to your supply chain and bottom line. We saw this reality hit hard in 2023 when the El Niño phenomenon disrupted operations in Central America, primarily due to water scarcity, which affected several of your key divisions.

Dole plc is taking this seriously, having completed a detailed climate risk scenario analysis in 2023. This analysis identified over 75 potential impact chain events that link climate-related physical and transition risks directly to a financial impact on the business. That's a massive list of potential profit hits. The company has also submitted science-based goals aligned with a 1.5°C scenario to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) for validation, which shows a commitment to managing this risk. Still, the near-term volatility from storms, floods, and droughts in your core sourcing regions remains a critical operational risk you must defintely factor into your Q1 2026 forecasts.

Water scarcity in major growing regions (e.g., California, Spain) necessitates expensive irrigation tech.

Water is the new oil in agriculture, and scarcity in major growing regions is driving up operational expenditure (OpEx) for everyone. The ongoing drought in places like Spain, a significant sourcing market for fresh produce, has already contributed to a rise in food prices, with vegetables seeing a high inflation rate. This pressure forces investment in more efficient and modern irrigation infrastructure, a cost that your Spanish and California-based operations cannot avoid.

Dole plc is actively addressing this by using the WWF Water Risk Filter tool to identify both scarcity and flooding risks across its supply chain. The company has a clear target: a 10% overall reduction in water usage on all Dole-owned farms in high-risk areas by 2030. More immediately, the company is focused on its third-party growers, aiming to establish capacity building programs to promote optimized water stewardship practices with 70% of 3rd party suppliers in high water risk areas by the end of 2025.

Here's a quick look at Dole plc's 2025 water stewardship goals for high-risk areas:

• Reduce water usage by 10% on owned farms by 2030.
• Certify 50% more owned and third-party farms to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) by 2030 (2022 baseline).
• Establish water stewardship programs with 70% of 3rd party suppliers by 2025.

EU and US mandates for reducing plastic packaging require significant R&D and material substitution.

Consumer and regulatory pressure on single-use plastics is intense, and the cost of compliance is now quantifiable. In the EU, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging scheme, which came into effect in 2025, assigns a clear financial liability to producers. For the 2025 to 2026 period, the base fee for plastic packaging in the UK, for example, is set at £423 per tonne. This fee structure makes material substitution a financial imperative, not just a marketing one.

Dole plc has responded with an ambitious goal to make 100% of its packaging across all divisions either recyclable or compostable by the end of 2025. The company is also aiming for zero fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025. This requires significant R&D, including exploring innovative solutions like turning pineapple skins and banana leaves into biodegradable packaging. This is a huge capital expenditure (CapEx) item, but the alternative is paying high EPR fees and risking brand damage.

Pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and refrigeration units is rising.

The fresh produce business is inherently logistics-heavy, meaning shipping and refrigeration are major emission sources, and they are now under the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) microscope. You've seen some good progress here: Dole plc reported a 17% decrease in overall emissions in 2023, driven partly by adding more efficient ships to the fleet. Looking at direct operations, the company achieved a 4% decrease in Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to the 2020 baseline.

The long-term target is to reduce the emissions of the company's own ships by 30% by 2030. This reduction is being achieved through fleet modernization, including the use of TIER III compliant engines that achieve nearly a 66% reduction in Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) compared to the older vessels they replaced. On land, the investment in renewable energy is also paying off. The two 2.8 Megawatt wind turbines installed at the Soledad, California, salad processing plant are estimated to directly reduce CO2 emissions by 14,912 tons per year.

Here's the quick math on your shipping efficiency gains and targets:

Metric	Status/Target	Key Figure (2025 Focus)
Overall Emissions Reduction (2023)	Achieved	17% decrease
Company Ship Emissions Reduction Target	By 2030	30% reduction
NOx Reduction (New Vessels vs. Old)	Achieved	Nearly 66% reduction per FEU
Annual CO2 Reduction (CA Wind Turbines)	Estimated Impact	14,912 tons

So, your next step is to task your supply chain team with modeling the cost impact of a 15% increase in container shipping rates and a 10% reduction in yield from one key Latin American sourcing region by the end of Q1 2026. That's the kind of defintely actionable insight we need.