Vanilla has a bitter taste of its producers. The tropical orchid plant, whose capsules can be sold with a premium and are mostly imported to Madagascar, is located among the less gratifying import sectors for producers, according to a study published on Thursday, April 17 in the “hidden side of imported foods in France.” On average, vanilla producers in Madagascar earn only 40% of a minimum decent salary. “A luxury product in the northern countries, vanilla remains a survival harvest for the countries of the South,” says the report, produced by Basic, a research firm specialized in environmental issues, for the Institut Veblen, Greenpeace France and Max.
Cocoa leads the list of import sectors with the highest greenhouse gas emissions, partly due to the deforestation it causes. In Ivory Coast, one of the main producers, cocoa culture has led to the destruction of forest coverage, which decreased by 80% between 1960 and 2010.
The coffee is among the crops that consume most chemical inputs and is the most polluting for ecosystems, especially because it requires a large amount of water for the subsequent washing of the beans, polluting rivers and groundwater.
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