Symrise has opened an extraction facility for sustainable vanilla production in Madagascar.
The investment at the Benavony site amounted to approximately €3 million (US$3.83 million).
With the plant, every step in the processing of vanilla can now be performed locally on the East African island for the first time.
The company has been active in Madagascar, where 80% of the world’s vanilla is grown, since 2005.
The 3,500 sqm facility offers production space for extraction, analysis, quality control and the proper storage of vanilla extracts.
The site, which has been completely newly constructed, has a total of 36 hectares of space.
The company works directly with vanilla farmers in northeastern Madagascar in order to ensure the sourcing of natural vanilla, quality and traceability.
The number meanwhile amounts to approximately 7,000 farmers in 90 villages.
More than 30,000 people benefit directly and indirectly in terms of income, health, education and training.
The company reinvests 10% of its yields from vanilla operations into Madagascar in the form of education and training, reforestation and the sustainable cultivation of various agricultural raw materials on the island.
According to head of Symrise Madagascar Alain Bourdon, the facility produces energy by burning acacia wood and bamboo.
“We purchase the bamboo from village residents – providing them with additional income.”
“At the same time, residents are trained in the sustainable cultivation and harvesting of bamboo. As part of a Symrise reforestation program, in 2014 approximately 80,000 acacia and 50,000 intsia bijuga seedlings were planted. The same number of trees will also be planted in 2015.”
Symrise currently processes about 200 tons of vanilla locally each year, which represents roughly 10% of the annual harvest in Madagascar.
The company also opened a new fermentation and storage complex in the Madagascan city of Antalaha in February 2014.
