The island nation produces 80 percent of the world’s vanilla, growing beans that impart their velvety-sweet perfume to cakes, cookies, and ice creams. But producing the ambrosial spice has never been simple. Farmers must hand-pollinate pale orchid blossoms that bloom for just one day a year, then wait nine months for the fruit—aka beans—to be ready for harvest. After that, the beans are dried and cured for another four months so their rich flavors and aromas can develop. The periodic arrival of cyclones adds risk to this process—as does the fact that most Madagascar vanilla farmers don’t grow other crops. That’s the situation in normal times.

Now, the climate crisis is turning up the heat in Madagascar and strengthening the cyclones that spin ashore out of the Indian Ocean, putting pressure on harvests and farmers’ livelihoods.

That’s where these fledgling nurseries come in. Designed to provide vanilla farmers with any saplings they want to plant, they’re part of Nielsen-Massey’s concerted effort to support their partner farmers in diversifying the agricultural ecosystem with endemic tree species that can protect against extreme weather while also increasing growers’ income over time with diversified fruit and spice crops. The company—and participating farmers—are betting that in a warming world, agroforestry may offer the seeds of resilience.

Madagascar vanilla is already feeling the effects of climate change. In 2017, a drought and an intense cyclone combined to damage 30 percent of the country’s harvest. In 2022, another cyclone had a similar impact. Last year, the damage was worse: First, many flowers failed to bloom. Then, yet another cyclone flooded farms. All told, the country’s crop was cut in half. As extreme weather becomes increasingly common, researchers have said it’s critical for vanilla farmers to find ways to adapt this delicate supply chain.

Agroforestry is an especially promising adaptation. Research has found that adding trees can shield against strong winds, help soils absorb excess rain, and offer shade that protects against heat and drought. Adopting the approach can increase yields during extreme weather events by up to 15 percent over what they would have been otherwise. In calmer periods, integrating trees also improves biodiversity and enriches the soil—factors that contribute to resilience and offer broader environmental benefits. “These practices have led to improved soil quality and increased productivity on our plots, ensuring a more stable and consistent income for my family,” says Ranerason Maurice, a 38-year farmer growing in Madagascar’s Ambatosoa region.

As it turns out, agroforestry is a natural fit for the vanilla orchid, since the spice is the fruit of a tree-climbing vine, wrapping around trunks, branches, or garden stakes for support. Some Madagascar vanilla already grows in diverse forests, and some grows in sparser forests, but neat rows with trellises placed overhead for shade are more typical. 

In each of those landscapes, integrating more trees can help contribute to reforestation. Madagascar has lost a quarter of its tree cover since 2000, as forests have been logged for timber, charcoal production, and to make way for rice paddies and pastures. 

The importance of restoring the island nation’s forests, which are teeming with tropical biodiversity, is one reason Nielsen-Massey started working on agroforestry several years ago, says Craig Nielsen, the company’s vice president of sustainability. Another is income diversification for farmers.

The newly opened plant nurseries are designed to enable growers to plant both forest-enhancing and cash-crop trees like cloves, coffee, and cacao. Accompanying agricultural training courses, which the company has offered for years on a range of topics, bolster growers’ existing agroforestry knowledge and offer additional business training on introducing and selling these new crops to local markets. “We’re trying to make it as streamlined for farmers and as responsive to their needs as possible,” Nielsen says. 

This responsiveness is a theme in the company’s work with farmers. The tree-planting initiative is just one of several programs it’s developed to diversify agricultural income based on what growers say they’re interested in doing, from poultry farming to beekeeping to raising tilapia. “Each village has different needs,” Nielsen says, “so we follow their lead.”

Nielsen estimates it’ll be several years before the full impact of the nurseries on farm resilience and growers’ livelihoods is visible. But initial signs are promising. “In the beginning, there's a little more work to do, but now our plants are more resilient and the soil is more fertile,” says 52-year old grower Safaly Constant, “Agroforestry has enriched our ecosystem—we see more birds and insects. The quality of our vanilla has improved, and we can sell it at a better price.” 

Saplings are flourishing at all the nurseries; at the Rantabe location, which will serve 650 vanilla farmers, some nearby growers have already begun to plant clove trees. “It’s still early,” Nielsen says. “But we’re hopeful this will be another way to help farmers continually improve their living income.”  For 33-year old Beavy Damien, who has been growing vanilla in Madagascar’s Amodivalotra region for seven years, these practices are for the health and future of the next generation “I want young people to be proud of growing vanilla,” she says, “and to understand that agriculture can be a source of wealth and development if it is practiced responsibly and sustainably.”