An interactive sticker system is being introduced by fresh produce supplier Dole to help reassure consumers over its banana sourcing policies.

Each sticker will feature a unique code that identifies where the bananas were packed. Shoppers can enter the code into the Planet Dole website, which will give them access to information about the grower.

Consumers will be able to zoom into the farm via Google Earth, learn about the farmers who grew the fruit and the social benefits sales of the bananas have paid for.

Dole, the world's largest fresh produce company, would roll out the stickers in Continental European retailers later this month, and was in discussions with UK supermarkets about introducing the stickers here, said Dole vice-president Sylvain Cuperlier.

In a crowded fresh produce aisle, stickers directly on the produce were the best way of communicating information, he said.

The stickers will initially be limited to banana lines from Costa Rica, although Dole plans to extend this to Ecuador and other locations. Other fruit may also be included in the scheme in future.

"We are being more proactive in promoting corporate social responsibility," added Cuperlier. "We want consumers to know more about what's behind the brand. Bananas are a sensitive product in terms of image and consumers are concerned about how they are sourced."

The stickers were part of a strategy to get retailers to work with Dole on joint CSR projects, Cuperlier said. A Norwegian supermarket, for example, had recently contributed $300,000 to a Dole community project in Ecuador. Retailers could contribute towards any of 20 medical, environmental or social projects, he said, adding that the publicity would help boost consumer confidence in their sourcing practices.

Dole was also providing material for children to use in the classroom to explain how produce was sourced and when fruit was ripe, Cuperlier said.

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