Dive Brief:
- Coca-Cola is teaming up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other industry leaders to utilize artificial intelligence in tackling the decline in orange production caused by citrus greening.
- The MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium, which includes Coca-Cola, OpenAI, Tata Group, and SK Telecom, aims to leverage AI to solve real-world issues for the benefit of society.
- The consortium’s first project, “Save the Orange,” focuses on combating citrus greening by bringing together experts from various fields such as agritech, computer science, and life sciences.
Dive Insight:
Since the emergence of citrus greening in Florida over two decades ago, the disease has spread to affect a significant portion of the global orange supply, with Brazil’s Citrus Belt being impacted in 2024. Without advancements in detection and treatment, the world’s orange production could be at risk within the next 25 years.
Coca-Cola’s initiative, “Save the Orange,” developed in collaboration with Fundecitrus and Invaio Sciences, aims to address the critical issue of citrus greening and support the orange farming community.
As a major global fruit juice provider, Coca-Cola is actively involved in finding solutions to combat citrus greening. The company’s president of the global nutrition category, Christina Ruggiero, emphasized the importance of collaboration with research institutions to address this challenge.
The decline in orange production in the U.S., particularly in Florida, has been drastic due to citrus greening and natural disasters. Data from the USDA shows a significant decrease in orange output over the past decade.
Coca-Cola recognizes the transformative potential of AI and other digital technologies in various aspects of its business operations. The company has already utilized AI for advertising and product development, including the creation of Coca-Cola Y3000, a beverage co-created with both human and artificial intelligence.