SYNERGY FLAVORS BUILDS TWO NEW SCHOOLS IN MADAGASCAR

Industry Leader Gives Back to Region That Produces Important Raw Material for its Business

Wauconda, IL, February 6, 2018 – Synergy Flavors, Inc., a leading supplier of flavors, extracts and essences for the global food and beverage industry, announces the completion of two new primary schools in Antohomaro and Farahalana, Madagascar. The two facilities mark the second pair of schools Synergy Flavors has funded in Madagascar. The first two schools were built near Sambava, Madagascar in 2016. This initiative is a way for the company to give back to the underserved community of growers and processors who have been at the heart of Synergy Flavors’ success for decades.

Synergy Flavors once again worked with the Madagascar Development Fund (MDF) to build the two schools. The schools were built to replace two others that were destroyed by Cyclone Enowa early in 2017, a cyclone that destroyed much of the region’s infrastructure.

“One of MDF’s main objectives is to reduce poverty by providing communities with self-sustaining tools, such as education and schools,” said Brian Donaldson, past British ambassador to Madagascar and patron of the Madagascar Development Fund. “Thanks to Synergy Flavors’ funding, we are able to provide two more towns with access to educational resources and skill development tools that will improve the lives of children, who will one day become leaders in their communities.”

Madagascar has a historically challenged economy, where more than 80 percent of the population has an income of less than one dollar per day, according to MDF. Antohomaro and Farahalana are located in the SAVA region, which produces nearly 80 percent of the world’s vanilla beans. As a major producer of vanilla extracts and flavors, Synergy Flavors chose to invest in the future of a region that has provided so much to the flavor and ingredient industry.

“Synergy Flavors believes the key to innovation and success is starting with the right foundation,” said Rod Sowders, president and chief executive officer of Synergy Flavors. “Education is a significant portion of that foundation. By building schools in areas that lack a direct avenue to education, we are creating a strong foundation for Malagasy children and driving transformative change throughout the entire community.”

With construction completed, the two schools will now begin to accept children for classes. These schools will put young children on the right path to a more promising future and will provide many of them with access to education for the first time in their lives.

The inauguration of the schools is expected to take place later this year. 

About Synergy Flavors

Synergy Flavors, Inc. is a leading supplier of flavors, extracts and essences for the global food and beverage industry. Its Synergy Pure® coffee, tea, and vanilla extracts and essences capture authentic flavor and aroma from nature. Synergy offers high-quality taste solutions to inspire innovation that allows its customers to retain their competitive edge in a global market. Synergy Flavors is committed to sustainability and is taking active steps to reduce its carbon footprint throughout every stage of its business activities. Visit https://www.synergytaste.com for more information.

About the Madagascar Development Fund

The Madagascar Development Fund is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which finances small developmental projects throughout Madagascar. It carries out these charitable activities with impartiality and without regard for race, religion or political affiliation. MDF is dependent on funding from companies in Britain, Madagascar and elsewhere; charitable organizations; foreign governments; and generous individuals.

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