Hagens Berman’s class-action lawsuit alleging that the Dole Food Company, Inc. (NYSE: DOLE), the world’s largest fruit and vegetable company, lies to consumers about its environmental record in terms of its banana-growing practices, has been resolved.
The suit, Clayton Laderer v. Dole Food Company, Inc was filed on Nov. 13, 2012 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California and claimed that Dole misrepresented its commitment to the environment in selling bananas from a Guatemalan banana plantation that did not comport with proper environmental practices.
The case has now been resolved. In coordination with social programs already undertaken by Dole’s independent grower in Guatemala, Dole and the non-profit organization Water and Sanitation Health, Inc. will collaborate together on a water filter project to assist local communities in Guatemala. While Dole denies the allegations made against it and its grower in the lawsuit, Dole has reached this resolution because it believes continued outreach and education regarding water sanitation techniques will benefit the local communities.