With donations ranging from $5 to as large as $5,000, The Organic Center raised $20,417 through its first-ever crowdfunding drive, easily exceeding its goal of $15,000 as part of a major campaign to fund a research effort to find organic solutions to a devastating disease threatening the nation’s citrus industry.
“We’re thrilled that so many individuals generously contributed and have joined with our corporate donors to expand the funding base for this important research,” said Dr. Jessica Shade, director, Organic Center’s Research. “This is just the beginning, however, and there’s more work to be done to help both organic and non-organic growers fight this disease in safe, organic and holistic ways, and keep citrus safe and healthy for consumers.”
The Organic Center, operating under the auspices of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), launched a major multi-year study and fundraising campaign in early summer to find organic solutions to ward off the deadly bacterial disease of Huanglongbing (HLB), known as citrus greening, and help citrus growers fight the disease without resorting to dangerous chemicals or genetic engineering, reported the center. They set a fundraising target of $310,000 to finance the three-year study, with a $35,000 grant from the UNFI Foundation laying the foundation for the drive.
A total of $78,167 has been raised.
The first wave of research has focused on non-toxic materials, including weekly sprays of organically approved materials, which can be used to control the Asian citrus psyllid, the insect that spreads the disease. According to the center, the next step in the research process is to develop procedures that control the psyllid while maintaining healthy populations of beneficial insects such as predatory insects and pollinators.
Another aspect of research agenda looks at naturally occurring resistant organic citrus trees discovered in Florida that appear to be resistant to citrus greening. Proposed research will examine these resistant trees, which could be used to develop resistant varieties through natural breeding techniques that do not rely on genetic modification.
The Organic Center plans to incorporate its findings into a farmer-focused document that lays out protocols for growers in different citrus-growing regions across the United States, and will also conduct a cost-benefit analysis of its methods to ensure that they are feasible for farmers.
“These are the kind of strategies that can be incorporated into all citrus greening control protocols, regardless of whether people choose to grow using organic or conventional methods,” said Shade.
According to a recent OTA survey of the organic industry, both organic fresh fruit sales and organic citrus juice sales in 2013 jumped around 25 percent. That growth could be stalled by citrus greening, reported the center.
“The battle against citrus greening is not over yet,” said Shade.
For more information, visit www.organic-center.org.
