Handbook of Vanilla Science and Technology

The modern agricultural paradigm, which is displacing traditional land use and food production systems around the world, places more value on production levels than farmers’ standard of living, environmental sustainability, or food quality. Imported agro-chemicals and seeds jeopardize local food security when farmers neglect endemic landraces in favor of imported hybrid seeds. Unsustainable farming practices undermine the ability of natural ecosystems to supply the ecological services past generations took for granted.

In contrast to this, agro-ecology conserves natural resources, and supports the surrounding ecosystem in providing ecological services such as regulation of river fluctuation, biodiversity preservation, erosion control, air purification, soil and water retention, and the creation of wildlife habitats. Agro-ecological systems support food security by offering a broad base (seasonally, nutrient-wise, and as a contingency plan when other food supplies are disrupted) of foods that can be directly consumed at home.

The inherent diversity of food resources in an agro-ecological system ensures food security in the event of natural or man-made disasters. In 2001, when Hurricane Iris hit the Toledo District, most of the fruit bearing trees in its path were either broken off at ground level, lost their branches, or lost their fruit. The field crops blew down and molded in the ensuing rainstorms. Dried staples stored inside homes were lost when the roofs protecting them blew off. However, crops such as tubers, nopales, plantains, and bananas, and in a week or two the perennial leafy greens that returned, were available for food. This underscores the importance of relying on a diversified food source.

4.1.4 Maya Mountain Research Farm vanilla cultivation and introduction project

Before launching a vanilla project with local farmers, MMRF spent over 2 years doing research. Liaisons were initiated, by MMRF staff, with producer groups in other countries. Literature reviews were conducted and visits were paid to vanilla farms in both Mexico and Guatemala. Staff also conducted field research, both biological and ethno-botanical, and cultivated wild-collected specimens of vanilla on-site at MMRF. Through these avenues information was gathered on such things as cultivation techniques, typical vanilla farmer demographics, production modalities, market approaches, international production level fluctuation, hybridization, and micro-propagation.

When MMRF began their vanilla cultivation and introduction project in August of 2007, only one person in Belize was commercially cultivating vanilla. This was Cyrila Cho of San Felipe Village (more can be read about her in the sidebar on page 65). In San Antonio Village, the Ah family was also cultivating vanilla; however, their production was and still is for home consumption (see sidebar on page 67). Both of these farms were entirely reliant on wild vanilla vines, both Vanilla planifolia and V. odorata. The farmers had not transplanted the vines, but were tending them in situ.

It was decided that the vanilla cultivation and introduction project would focus on quality over quantity, and intensively train and include only 11 persons. These 11 persons are to be the seed for the next generation of Toledo District vanilla farmers. Rather than work in one village, the project selected 11 persons from 10 different villages. Participants were hand-selected to represent the 6 different ethnic groups present in the Toledo District, to be geographically distributed widely throughout the district, and to be experienced, established farmers with good land tenure, on a wide variety of soils. Both men and women were selected, with an age range of 18 to 64. It was considered that by choosing a group this diverse, and working closely with them, that vanilla could be introduced throughout the district by them.

This project was initiated with a 3-day workshop held at MMRF, led by Dawn Dean. The vanilla vines growing at MMRF were the first such plants the farmers had seen. Pictures of the Vallejo vanilla farm in Veracruz, Mexico were shown, along with the insights Victor Vallejo suggested for the fledgling group regarding vanilla cultivation, such as his technique for “footing” the vines to constantly keep young growth on the vines.