Dole Tropical Products Ltd. is a grower and exporter of bananas, pineapples, and organics in the Central and South American region. Fresh fruit from this region is marketed in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Company and grower operations must comply with significant constraints regarding crop protection product use including regulatory requirements both local and international, voluntary GAP standards demanded by customers, supermarket expectations regarding MRLs, a diminishing set of alternatives for crop protection, and the framework established by Company policies. Examples are provided that illustrate the impact of regulatory decisions on the international trade of fresh fruit and how growers, usually very far removed from the decision-making process, can be seriously impacted by standards and regulations governing GAPs and product safety. The changing regulatory environment in the major fresh fruit markets, which has added complexity to industry practices, is also addressed.

Compliance challenges to global MRL and GAP standards by the fresh fruit industry in Latin America: Dole's experience

248th National Meeting (2014)

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