Meet Jean Claude Tafita (pictured clapping), a vanilla farmer and President of the Mahavelona Cooperative from Anjialavabe in the Sava Region of Madagascar—a coastal area where much of the world’s natural vanilla is sourced. Unfortunately, like many regions in Madagascar, Sava is currently grappling with deforestation and the negative effects of climate change. Despite these hardships, Tafita, along with hundreds of vanilla cooperative members and the local community, recently had a big reason to celebrate.
Through NCBA CLUSA’s Sustainable Vanilla for People and Nature (SVPN) Activity—a project co-financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and McCormick & Company—community members commemorated the establishment of 13 tree nurseries that produced 45,000 seedlings in the first phase of production. These seedlings will be used for local reforestation projects to help tackle both deforestation and climate change.
