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Natural Awakenings Greater Boston - Rhode Island

Saving the Orange Industry

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Citrus greening is a bacterial disease spread by an invasive insect that causes oranges to prematurely drop before they ripen and sweeten. The disease has decimated orange crops around the world, including the reduction of Florida’s output by 90 percent since 2005. Without intervention, experts warn orange supplies could disappear by 2050.

Coca-Cola has joined forces with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to lead a global initiative to help fight the disease. They are rallying growers, researchers and scientists to detect, manage and bring an end to citrus greening. The team is hoping to stabilize orange supplies and prices, while protecting citrus farming communities around the world.