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Most of the world's vanilla supply comes from Madagascar. Cyclone Gamane flooded fields and stripped vanilla pods from vines, sparking fears of imminent shortages.
The sweet scent of orchid fruits is also grown in other tropical regions, including Indonesia, Mexico, Uganda, and Tahiti. It is considered the second most expensive spice after saffron, due to its labor-intensive cultivation process, which involves hand-pollination and ripening over several months after harvest.
According to the Vanilla Suppliers and Trade Association, suppliers should consider diversifying the origins of their vanilla beans to avoid the same crisis as cocoa for its sweet flavor.
“Government intervention, extreme weather events and other unforeseen impacts can all impact the vanilla supply chain,” Prossy Tumashabe, executive director of the Uganda Vanilla Exporters Association, said in a statement. “Food and beverage brands and chefs can secure supply and increase business flexibility by sourcing vanilla from multiple origins.”
Uganda's vanilla industry is positioned as an alternative to Madagascar, assuming the climate and government provide stability while Uganda's beans have a similar flavor profile. Uganda has the capacity to produce across two growing seasons, with a main harvest in the summer plus a smaller harvest in January.
“Just like coffee, tea and chocolate, the soil in which it is grown and how it is cured affects the flavor profile,” Craig Nielsen, vice president of sustainability at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, said in an interview. “Uganda is geographically very close to Madagascar. Their (vanilla bean) flavor profile is very similar to Madagascar, and honestly, I ended up liking it a little more. Especially because it adds a little chocolate flavor to the ice cream. Deeply – with its taste.”
Tropical cyclone earlier this year game It struck Madagascar, killing 18 people, displacing thousands and destroying vanilla plantations. In addition to Madagascar adopting and then abandoning a minimum export price for vanilla beans, surpluses over the past two years have further destabilized the market. The recent harvest also recorded a surplus.
This volatility creates instability that can create uncertainty for producers, Nielsen said.
“We don’t need to be tied down to Madagascar. “There are other regions, especially Uganda, that can match the quality and taste of Madagascar and provide a continuous and reliable supply of products,” he said. “Uganda provides a great alternative and second source of vanilla that we need to educate and engage our customers.”
