Socioeconomic Impacts of Vanilla Bean and Coffee Cultivation in Madagascar

Vanilla bean pods growing on an agroforestry farm in Ranomafana, Madagascar.

Assembled in 2019, this paper provides a view into the particular challenges facing Malagasy commodity farmers and their responses to them. Conducted in the context of a rapid increase in the global price of vanilla; this paper drew on economic data, academic research, semi-structured interviews with farmers, and other sources to gain an understanding of farmers’ response to an increase in income.

Among the key findings of the research:

• Diversification of future income sources by channeling current profits is common.

• The general sentiment is the price of vanilla will continue to increase as demand increases and production remains labour intensive (vanilla orchids must be hand pollinated outside of their native range in present-day Mexico).

• Coffee remains an increasingly challenging crop to grow profitably in the face of growing volume-based competition.

The paper is available at the below Google Doc and while much has changed since it was first written, it still holds useful insights into this unique crop and its global market.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KqLZUQZRepyS5XpKKj2lSi2_FNmwPqgvRGgcvb272h4/edit?usp=sharing