DOLE/Compagnie Fruitère (SCB)

The Compagnie Fruitière is the leading grower of fruit in the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific region. This family-owned company was created in Marseille in 1939 and remains deeply attached to its founding values. Its stated aim is “to offer the consumer the best of nature whilst building a better and brighter future for our colleagues and partners”. The founding family holds 60 percent of the company’s capital. The other shareholder is Dole (40 percent of company capital), the world leader in fruit and vegetables. The Compagnie Fruitière markets its fruit in Europe and North Africa. Within the EU, it holds a 10 percent market share for pineapples and 7% for bananas. The Group’s 2007 turnover totalled 304 million euros in 2007. Its workforce exceeds 17,000 employees in Europe, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The Société de Culture Bananière (SCB) joined the Compagnie Fruitiere Group in 1997. Large-scale investment has made it possible to double fruit production, which currently exceeds 200,000 tons per year. Bananas, pineapples and papayas are grown on about 20 sites, covering a total area of almost 3,600 hectares. In 2000, in Abidjan, the Compagnie Fruitiere built the only in-vitro banana and pineapple plant laboratory on the African continent. These in-vitro plants are guaranteed to be GMO-free. The SCB is a major economic force in Ivory Coast, employing more than 6,500 people to maintain the high level of quality required for Compagnie Fruitiere produce. ISO 14001 and Globalgap® certification attest to this quality.