MADAGASCAR

Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, located 250 miles east of South Africa. The source of almost 80% of the world's vanilla, it is the also the premium supplier of vanilla, with 59% market share in 2007. Other suppliers include the Comoros Islands, Tonga, China, Mexico, Costa Rica and Tahiti.

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The region of Madagascar which supplies vanilla is commonly referred to as SAVA - a small triangle of four key vanilla-producing cities (Sambava, Antalaha, Vohemar and Andapa) off the northeast coast of the country. There are more than 80,000 registered vanilla growers in this region, which has one vanilla season per year. Taxes generated by the vanilla industry fund the reconstruction and maintenance of 'Route de la vanille', the road that connects these cities.

The climbing vanilla vines need forest trees as a host, and the tropical rainforest climate, light and soil are ideal growth conditions. 90% of the area's flora and fauna is found nowhere else on the planet, and its unique natural resources include bourbon vanilla, boabab trees and lemurs.

Madagascar is affected by various social and economic problems. The population currently stands at over 20 million and is rapidly increasing at a rate of 3% per year – and migration is negligible. Malnutrition is a constant battle, particularly with underfunded health and education facilities. Nearly 75% of the population resides in rural areas and receives limited government support.

Although the land itself is rich, there is considerable economic poverty. An average family earns under $500 per year, making them among the poorest people in the world. There is a slash-and-burn approach to agriculture, rather than one of prolonged sustainability. Tropical rainforests are cut down and burned, and then rice is planted in its place. This causes soil erosion and puts unique crops and natural resources at risk. Each year, thousands of acres of valuable rainforests are destroyed for the sale of non-renewable hardwoods (ebony and rosewood) and fuelwood (for charcoal production). Furthermore, only 5% of cultivable land is used for crop production.

Severe political instability and corruption also threatens the island's ecology and Malagasy quality of life. With crops including vanilla, coffee, cotton, sugar cane and cloves, agriculture is the economic mainstay of Madagascar, yet remains underdeveloped. There is also only limited availability of credit for investment in cash crops.

There are numerous challenges in terms of the country's development: the transport systems are poor and this is no irrigation control, which means they are entirely reliant on rainfall for the watering of crops. This is a problem which Givaudan has already started to tackle by employing agronomy experts to work side by side with local farmers to produce larger areas of cultivable land.