Symrise was the sole US VIP sponsor of the Rencontre Sportive Malgache (RSM) event held at the College of Staten Island in New York on July 6 and 7, 2013.

RSM is a sporting event that brings together Malagasy nationals who reside in the United States and Canada.  This year it was hosted by Telonohorefy, a non-profit group in the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut). Each year, RSM attracts about 1,000 enthusiasts of basketball, soccer, volleyball and bocce from the United States and its neighbor to the north.  Participants are youth representatives of various local teams who come to the event to compete for trophies. Symrise had a tabletop exhibit at the opening ceremony where tasting and smelling samples were distributed to educate participants on vanilla. The company also took part in a closing ceremony dinner that featured Malagasy cuisine.

Donna Rosa, Senior Director, Consumer Health Business Unit and Global Sustainability Ambassador for North America, represented Symrise at the event and presented one of the awards. She explained, “Our sponsorship of RSM stems from our vanilla production in Madagascar and Symrise’s simply vanilla products, which rely on Madagascar’s exceptionally high quality vanilla beans. We support a community-wide network of local farmers in Madagascar, the world’s largest vanilla-growing region, by sharing best practices in sustainable agriculture and vanilla curing with them. Symrise has invested in a new warehouse and factory and has initiated ongoing commitments to farmer training, certification and crop diversification. We also support the farmers and their families with pre-harvest rice loans, children’s education and health insurance.”

Rosa said that the RSM event is an example of how Symrise is supporting the people of Madagascar in the United States and well as in their homeland. She stated, “We have come to know the Malagasy people as friends and colleagues, and we are proud to solidify our commitment to this island nation through our sponsorship of RSM.”