Mars tackles vanilla crisis

Mars has sent a team of associates to the Madagascar, the world’s biggest exporter of vanilla, to support vanilla farmers in restoring vanilla production, increasing food security for farmers and preserving the landscape in collaboration with Danone, Veolia and fragrance company Firmenich.

Mars and its partners will continue to buy the vanilla produced by Madagascan farmers over a 10-year period with the aim of tripling the farmers’ revenue and purchasing good quality vanilla. The partnership will help to equip farmers a with a new vanilla production model and more sustainable practices for increased vanilla production and quality going forward.

Farmers will also have direct connections to markets via a farmer-owned cooperative. They will export to Mars and its project partners, ensuring that around 65 per cent of the crop value will return to farmers rather than the 5 -20 per cent they currently receive. Quarterly payments will also ensure farmers have a steady income.

“What we have in Madagascar is a great example of a supply chain that’s broken. We have farmers getting a fraction of the price from their material and it’s just ridiculous,” said Mars corporate vice president for commercial and sustainability Barry Parkin.