RESPONSIBLY SOURCED VANILLA
Vanilla is a precious, highly sought-after commodity for consumers around the world. However, while consumers may think of the flavor as ‘simple’, the reality is far from it. Vanilla beans are produced by the only edible species of orchid in the world, which are grown in tropical regions heavily impacted by climate change and climate-related natural disasters. These delicate orchids grow like vines up the side of trees, take years to mature, have an unforgivably short flowering period once per year, and require hand pollination of each flower in order to produce the valuable beans. The delicate and highly time-intensive nature of the plants coupled with the unrelenting effects of climate change and extreme weather have caused the global cost of vanilla to fluctuate from year to year, putting significant strain on the farmers and their families. To make matters worse, vanilla farmers also face a constant threat of theft at home, and adulteration in the end market. Roughly 80% of the world’s vanilla is sourced from Madagascar; a country prone to devastating hurricanes and flooding, and extended periods of drought and famine. It’s important for consumers and brands to ask themselves what the impact is of the vanilla they’re putting into their ice cream, coffee, and baked goods. This seemingly simple flavor has a long history of human struggle, and as a company who sources more than half a million pounds of vanilla each year, it’s imperative that we at Frontier Co-op are careful about the impact of our purchases. Moreover, we see it as our co-op’s responsibility to help our partners increase the resiliency of their businesses and their communities by investing in projects at origin.
Photo: Women lay out vanilla beans to dry in the sun in Madagascar.
2022 Social Responsiblilty Report | 33
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