Vanilla is one of the most popular and widely used additive flavouring agents in the world. It is the world’s second most expensive spice by weight, after saffron. Known scientifically as Vanilla planifolia, this orchid species has a rich and ever-evolving history with many island nations of the world, including those in the Pacific. The origins of this relationship can be traced to an innovation by an enslaved12-year-boy from the French island of La Réunion, off the east coast of Madagascar.
Vanilla is indigenous to the historical region of Mesoamerica, which now comprises the modern-day countries of Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and northern Costa Rica. The first reports of its use as an ingredient originate from the Totonac people of Mexico, who used vanilla to flavour a drink made with cacao and other spices. Upon conquering the Totonacan empire, Aztecs added vanilla to their beverage xocoatl, a drink reserved for nobility and ceremonies. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1519, they brought both vanilla and cacao across the Atlantic, to Europe.
However, despite many attempts to cultivate the bean, including in the botanical gardens of both France and England, the vanilla plants of Europe would flower but never fruit. After centuries of attempts, it was discovered that vanilla’s natural pollinator was the South American Melipona bee, which did not live in Europe.
Then in 1841, a young boy named Edmond Albius, who was at the time enslaved on the French island of La Réunion, developed a hand-pollination method that changed the course of vanilla’s history forever. Albius’s method of mating the flowers male and female parts led to La Réunion’s first export of 50 kilograms of vanilla pods to France in 1948, and undoubtably contributed to Madagascar continuing to be the largest global exporter of the product today.
In the same year, French Admiral Ferdinand-Alphonse Hamelin introduced the vanilla plant to French Polynesia, where it subsequently became widespread throughout the region. As vanilla cultivation has expanded across various Pacific Islands, the region became increasingly recognised for its unique varieties and high-quality production. Today, of the top 16 vanilla-producing countries worldwide, six are from the Blue Pacific, including Papua New Guinea (PNG), Tonga, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Niue.
Despite 95% of the world’s vanilla additives being synthetic, which has contributed to fluctuations in the natural vanilla trade in recent years, market projections for natural vanilla remain optimistic. In 2022, the global organic vanilla market was valued at US$611 million, with expectations to reach US$1.26 billion by 2032. This growth is partly driven by the increasing demand for organic food products, as the global organic food market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 14%. This trend reflects consumers’ growing awareness of the benefits of organic food, as well as the market’s recovery to pre-pandemic demand levels.
In the Pacific, rising interest in natural vanilla is noticeable across most markets. Recently, Sepik Valley Vanilla, was showcased at Fine Foods Australia and subsequently secured a distributor and large initial order. In Europe, was Niue Vanilla showcased at Gourmet Selection Trade Show and garnered much interest from the attending industry. In New Zealand, Heilala, the world’s first B Corp-certified vanilla company, is continuing the industry’s legacy of innovation by integrating hand pollination, harvesting, and crafting final product, with a community of 400 vanilla-farming families in the Kingdom of Tonga.
While Pacific vanilla growers and exporters continue to face the global challenges of price volatility and market access, the region holds significant potential to be not only a large part of a dynamic industry, but also an ever-unfolding story. By focusing on quality, sustainability, and market differentiation, the Pacific can continue to play an important role in the global vanilla trade, offering a touch of Pacific flavour to the tapestry of this plant’s bittersweet history.
