Coca-Cola donates to citrus greening research

 

The contribution raises the company's total contribution to the Lake Alfred-based Citrus Research and Development Foundation to $3 million since 2011. The foundation, an affiliate of the University of Florida, is the Florida citrus industry's chief agency in the research effort against the deadly bacterial disease that threatens the viability of the state's commercial citrus industry, which has an estimated $9 billion annual economic impact in Florida.

 

"The contribution from Coca-Cola underscores the importance of an aggressive research effort against greening," said Harold Browning, the foundation's chief operating officer. "We're happy to put Coke's contribution toward that effort."

 

Foundation officials had been talking to Coke executives about continuing its $500,000 annual contribution since it expired earlier this year, he said, so they've already included the new money in the current $17.8 million budget.

 

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