Protecting Vanilla, One of Our Favorite Flavors
Vanilla is a very delicious orchid, and the most important orchid crop. The Crop Trust, a non-profit group which works to safeguard crop diversity, wants to protect vanilla. Native to Central and South America, it was cultivated for millennia by Mayans and Aztecs. Nowadays, most beans come from Madagascar, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, India, and Uganda. Farmers create more plants by taking cuttings of vanilla vines, but that creates identical copies. This lack of genetic diversity makes the orchids susceptible to pests, diseases, and damage from climate change. To complicate matters, vanilla conservation hasn’t been a priority, and has been neglected. The Crop Trust plans to work with farmers, scientists, and industry experts in order to preserve the world’s vanilla resources. By supporting research, breeding new varieties, protecting existing plant stocks, and creating global conservation networks, they hope to guarantee that future generations can enjoy the joys of natural vanilla. Be sure to check out this great infographic accompanying the article.
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