Vanilla was first used as a flavoring by the Aztecs and is still grown in the tropical forests of Central America; but some of the best vanilla in the world is grown far away from its original homeland on the Island of Madagascar. First brought by the French colonists in 1840, vanilla found fertile soil in the humid northern rainforests of Madagascar. Vanilla from West Indian Ocean islands soon became famous as Bourbon Vanilla, thanks to its heady scent, with strong notes of prunes, dried fruit and cloves. Today, Madagascar produces over two-thirds of the world's vanilla, all of which is cultivated in the island's humid northern regions. Larger plantations are slowly replacing the traditional style of cultivation, in which vanilla plants are planted at the base of large trees in the rainforest. In the Biosphere Reserve of Mananara-Nord, created by UNESCO and ANGAP in the extreme northeast of the island, vanilla growers still use traditional basic methods on small plots of 20 to 40 vanilla plants each. The vanilla orchids are grown in remote villages scattered around the Reserve, linked to the port only by footpaths. Vanilla Planifolia is a climber, with green thick stem and leaves similar to leather. The blossoms are pollinated by hand using a fine stick or tweezers. After pollination, flowers turn into long light-green odorless capsules similar to fresh bean pods, full of seeds. The fresh green pods are blanched in hot water, then covered and kept in a warm location for two to three weeks, so that they become soft and black, acquiring an intense aroma. Then the rural producers of Mananara wrap the berries in woolen blankets and store the packets on the elevated floors of their houses to keep them warm and dry. During this curing period the berries 'sweat' extra moisture and enzymes within the pods liberate vanilla's principal flavor component: vanillin. During this key phase, which lasts five or six weeks, the women of Mananara rub each of the vanilla beans every day with their fingers, cleaning them and rendering them supple and smooth.

The Presidium
This presidium has been created with the collaboration of the NGO Intercòoperation, Development Environmental Consultant (DEC) and the Assoxìciation Nationale pour la Gestion des Aires Protégées Malgaches (ANGAP) and works with a group of 640 farmers in the Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve to improve cultivation and preparation techniques and to develop autonomy among farmers in the marketing of this valuable spice. Mananara's remoteness and Biosphere Reserve status have helped conserve the traditional style of production but have also limited producers to selling only to local distributors. Although vanilla is one of the world’s most precious spices, farmers usually receive only a very little amount of its market value. By forming a cooperative and making the certification and direct purchase easier, the presidium aims to guarantee a higher percentage of profits to farmer, to be reinvested in the community.
This project also has a strong ecological premise: Madagascar is home to the greatest biological biodiversity in the world and the vanilla growers live in one of the country's few National Parks. By assisting the low-impact cultivation of vanilla instead of crops that require slash-and-burn agriculture, the presidium is working to maintain a style of agriculture that both promotes livelihood and conserves the environment.

Mananara vanilla is certified BIO by Ecocert since 2005, according to CEE and US-NOP rules and certified Biosuisse since 2006. Moreover, since 2007, Mananara Vanilla achieved FLO certification for Fair Trade (Max Haveelar).


Production Area:
20 villages in the Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve, near the city of Mananara