Givaudan and the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have announced the next phase in their long-term relationship, with a new donation from Givaudan to support UCR’s Citrus Variety Collection.

The collection, which includes over 1,000 types of citrus, and occupies 22.3 acres on the UCR campus, as well as two smaller remote sites, will be known as the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at the University of California, Riverside.

Aimed 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), 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 Flavor 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 “crystalized 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.”