Ile aux Nattes, located off the east coast of Madagascar, is home to a small vanilla farm run by a Franco-Malagasy couple. Coming from a long line of vanilla producers, they decided 10 years ago to launch into the cultivation and marketing of this precious spice. Today, they welcome visitors for a sensory and ecological experience at the heart of their plantation.
Lionel Schmitt, passionate about vanilla, happily shares his growing tips with visitors. He explains in particular his pollination technique: instead of pollinating all the flowers, he only pollinates one flower out of two, which allows you to obtain longer and better quality vanilla pods. He shows visitors how to carry out hand pollination using a lemon tree thorn.
The tour continues through the plantation, where visitors can smell the intoxicating scent of vanilla and walk on soft, springy soil. The scattered banana tree trunks are the result of recent storms, but they help nourish the vanilla plants by disintegrating to form humus. And here, no chemicals: problems are solved thanks to natural solutions, such as the introduction of hedgehogs to get rid of snails.
The small vanilla farm on Île aux Nattes also has a positive impact on the tourism development of the island. Visitors can purchase vanilla beans that have been carefully dried and packaged by Lionel’s wife Lynda. Passionate about vanilla, she is the fourth generation of her family to cultivate and sell this spice. Everything is done artisanally, and the vanilla is harvested when the pods are fully ripe and rich in vanillin.
Madagascar vanilla is a true star and a flagship of national agriculture. Thanks to farms like that of Île aux Nattes, which highlight traditional and environmentally friendly culture, visitors have the chance to discover vanilla in its simplicity and authenticity. And by supporting these local producers, they also contribute to the economic development of the region.
In conclusion, vanilla cultivation on Île aux Nattes is an inspiring example of success in the field of sustainable agriculture. This Franco-Malagasy couple does everything possible to produce quality vanilla, while preserving the environment and offering visitors a unique and informative experience. Madagascar vanilla continues to fascinate and seduce, and thanks to passionate producers like them, its future is promising.