Dole Sunshine Company Announces Commitment to Increasing Food Access in Connection with the White House Conference on Hunger and Nutrition

The collaboration will drive access to healthy food options for as many as 24,000 families in Jackson, MS

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in collaboration with the first White House Conference on Hunger and Nutrition in over 50 years, the Dole Sunshine Company has committed to building upon its Sunshine for All Cities program with the launch of the Good Stuff Kiosks pilot program, a system of free-standing refrigerated food kiosks to be placed at Boys & Girls Clubs to provide access to healthy food options at a reasonable cost to families. The launch will be highlighted at the White House's Conference on Hunger and Nutrition today.

The Dole Sunshine for All Cities program is a hyper-local initiative designed to bring opportunities for nutrition education and access to healthy products to underserved communities across the country in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs. The Dole Sunshine for All Cities program launched in Jackson, MS in 2020 and has already served 18,000+ families across Jackson, Baltimore, MD, and Merced, CA. Leveraging its collaborations with the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, Partnership for a Healthier America and other partners from private and public sectors, Dole intends to scale the Good Stuff Kiosks pilot to reach 3 million children and 5,000 Boys & Girls Clubs chapters by 2030.

"For many Americans — particularly those living in underserved city centers  — small grocery stores that once helped to feed the community have been closed and replaced by convenience stores and liquor stores that primarily sell highly processed and low nutrient foods," commented Pier Luigi Sigismondi, President of Dole Packaged Foods & Beverages Group. "The support of the White House's Conference on Hunger and Nutrition is incredibly encouraging for our mission to bring Sunshine for All in America. Together with our partners, we believe in a more equitable world where everyone has the basic human right to access affordable good nutrition that comes from the goodness of the earth."

The custom designed kiosks will feature adjustable shelving and a refrigeration unit that will accommodate a wide variety of shelf stable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, rice, select protein options and fresh fruits and vegetables at each Club location. In addition to providing access to healthy food options, the kiosks will provide educational materials around nutrition, recipes and more to encourage healthier habits and lifestyles. Member families will be involved in running operations including stocking shelves and managing payments, and the kiosks will work in tandem with healthy cooking classes at the clubs for 7-17 year old kids to teach them a foundation in valuable life skills.

The first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health, held in 1969, had a significant influence on the country's food policy agenda for half a century. As part of the 2022 Conference, the Administration will announce a bold national strategy that outlines steps the federal government and other stakeholders will take to achieve this goal.

"Private business provides the vast majority of food consumed in this country, so it is absolutely critical that we bring corporate partners in on our mission to build a future where all Americans have access to good and nutritious food," said Nancy E. Roman, President & CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America. "We are grateful for Dole Sunshine Company for their commitment to ensuring everyone, in every zip code, has access to good food and are so pleased to be working with them to pilot the Sunshine for All® Cities GOOD STUFF Kiosk program."

The Dole Sunshine Company views having access to healthy food as a human right, not a privilege, and has pledged to improve access for 1 billion people by 2025 through the Dole Promise.

The name Dole Sunshine Company is used to represent the global interests and combined efforts of Dole Asia Holdings, Dole Worldwide Packaged Foods and Dole Asia Fresh. Dole Sunshine Company is not an actual business entity and does not operate as such in any country or region. For more information on Dole Sunshine Company, please visit sunshineforall.com.

In June 2020 Dole Asia Holdings announced The Dole Promise, with its three pillars around nutrition, sustainability, and the creation of shared value.

Better for People: Access to sustainable nutrition for 1 billion people by 2025, moving towards zero processed sugar in all Dole Packaged Foods products by 2025.

Better for Planet: Working towards zero fruit loss from Dole farms to markets by 2025, aiming for zero fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025. Working towards net zero carbon emissions in Dole operations by 2030.

Better for all Stakeholders: Dole will continue to positively impact all farmers, communities and people working for Dole – through its commitment to equal opportunity, living wages, and an ever-increasing level of safety, nutrition, and wellbeing. The company also seeks to advance human rights within the direct operations and supply chains by building a culture of transparency and accountability. The company also aims for a 50% increase in the value of its business by 2025.

SOURCE Dole Sunshine Company