Vanilla is a parasitic orchid native to Mexico. It was brought back to Europe by the Spaniards and over the years has travelled all over the world. The first to produce vanilla were the Reunionese in the 19th century. Since then, vanilla production has expanded to Madagascar and other regions with a tropical climate. Madagascar is an extremely fertile region for the cultivation of vanilla and has very quickly become the world’s largest producer, with more or less 220,000 tons of black vanilla per year.
Hello. I’m Samuel Renoux. A cook by training and by profession, I was a restaurant owner in Brussels for almost 20 years, and vanilla has always been one of my favourite products.
In 2016, during a trip to Guadeloupe, I discovered his production up close and, fascinated by the subject, I quickly decided to learn more. I give myself a seven-month break to return to “l’île aux belles eaux” to follow a seven-month training course in agroforestry. After that, I also travel to other countries to deepen my knowledge, including Madagascar. When I came back, I put my restaurant back on the market to start this project.
During my research in Madagascar, I met Monique, a 50-year-old Malagasy woman who has always worked in vanilla and with whom I share ideals of manufacturing methods, product quality and respect for the environment. Together we are creating a small company whose objective is to export a quality and eco-responsible vanilla. It is an essentially administrative, long-term process, during which we have already begun to prospect local producers, offer them our help and integrate them into our project.
After 3 years, our structure was ready, technically and administratively, for the cultivation, processing and marketing of an eco-responsible vanilla of superior quality. The sale of our product began in early 2020. Yes, right at the beginning of the global health crisis, which of course thwarted our plans, but did not discourage us. We used this time to continue to refine our methods and develop our contacts and… make this website!
Our goal is to produce quality vanilla. Even if this limits our production objectives to 225 to 250 kilos per year, it allows us to offer you a vanilla that is refined, fragrant, fat and with a well-stocked grain. But the product is not our only motivation: we also wish to develop partnerships, help local organizations at our level (Malagasy development, schooling of children, prevention in the field of contraception…) and raise awareness of responsible, environmentally friendly and non-polluting production methods (application for the Ecocert label in progress).
