Violence in Madagascar's Vanilla Trade
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The lush mountains in Madagascar’s northeast produce about 80 percent of the world’s vanilla, one of the most expensive flavors. Its price soared in 2019, reaching more than $600 a kilogram or about $270 a pound — more than silver — compared with $50 a kilogram in 2013.
Growing Western demand for the flavoring partly drove the price spike, with vanilla used in everything from ice cream to alcohol to cosmetics. Supply was diminished by a cyclone that ravaged crops on the island, which lies off the coast of southeast Africa.
The story of the vanilla trade in Madagascar is one of dangers and rewards, and can be told through three vital links in the chain that delivers the flavor from the fields to port, where it is exported to the world.
The lush mountains in Madagascar’s northeast produce about 80 percent of the world’s vanilla, one of the most expensive flavors. Its price soared in 2019, reaching more than $600 a kilogram or about $270 a pound — more than silver — compared with $50 a kilogram in 2013.
Growing Western demand for the flavoring partly drove the price spike, with vanilla used in everything from ice cream to alcohol to cosmetics. Supply was diminished by a cyclone that ravaged crops on the island, which lies off the coast of southeast Africa.
The story of the vanilla trade in Madagascar is one of dangers and rewards, and can be told through three vital links in the chain that delivers the flavor from the fields to port, where it is exported to the world.
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fantastic documentary serie
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One of the most intense experiences I had as a child was opening a jar that my grandmother kept in the fridge and that contained a vanilla bean. This single honeycomb, which my uncle brought from the Atlantic Forest where we live and gifted to my grandmother, dictated my preferences in perfumes and sweets for the rest of my life. My grandmother kept it in that glass jar as a relic, she only used the liquid in her recipes. And how surprising it was to learn the history behind the cultivation and trade of vanilla! I never imagined that this could happen in Madagascar, a magical place that made me think of that sweet scent amidst lush vegetation. The account of the photographs reminded me of the spice trade by Europeans in the 16th century, on the route to the Indies, in the exploratory relationship they had with native peoples. Like all the works you present here, this one is yet another expression of your talent as a photojournalist. A brave, sensitive and profound report. Thank you.
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