Givaudan supports preservation of University of California’s citrus collection
The Givaudan flavour and fragrance group has confirmed a donation of $3.5 million to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to support its citrus variety collection.
To date, the university has over 1,000 types of citrus upon 22.3 acres of its campus, as well as two smaller remote sites, aiming to help preserve commercial crops – which are widely used in confectionery and snack ranges.
The new American collection will be known as the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at the University of California, Riverside, and aims to help protect one of world’s most extensive and diverse assortments of citrus from the impending threat of Citrus Greening Disease, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB). Funds from the donation will pay for a 2.8-acre protective screened structure for new trees and back-up trees of the UCR Citrus Variety Collection, established more than 100 years ago.
“As global leaders in citrus, protecting citrus biodiversity and creating a sustainable future is a primary focus for Givaudan,” said Louie D’Amico, president of Givaudan’s Flavour Division. “Our long and ongoing partnership with UCR is one of the ways that Givaudan champions biodiversity within the overall context of our sustainability approach, A Sense of Tomorrow. We are pleased to make this gift and to continue the strong collaboration we have with this outstanding university.”
Citrus Variety Collection curator Tracy Kahn said the recent discovery of HLB in Riverside, 2.25 miles from UCR’s Citrus Variety Collection “crystalised the need for further protection.”
“Working with partners like Givaudan enables us to protect our collection while working on solutions which can help commercial citrus growers,” Kahn said. “This announcement further cements our long-term collaboration with Givaudan, focusing attention on the preservation of the citrus variety collection. This latest gift will help ensure that the collection is well protected.”
