Sponsored Content
Price volatility and climate change continue to impact vanilla agriculture, suppliers warn
3 Sep 2023
Environmental variables play a crucial role in the production of vanilla, its farmers and the overall agriculture sector. According to suppliers, sustainable vanilla options will increase in the coming years, but the fluctuating market of the beans remains a challenge for food developers.
FoodIngredientsFirst delves into the sector, spotlighting the ongoing issues around climate change and ethical practices.
According to Juan Felipe Rivera, CSR project manager at Prova, “sustainability is achieved with fair pricing for farmers, legal and decent working conditions, the development of farmers communities and producing vanilla beans that mitigate deforestation or other environmental impacts.”
He says that customers are increasingly aware of agro-product sustainability issues and have become very knowledgeable.
Industry developments in vanilla
Vanilla flavors continue to have a strong hold on the F&B industry as one of the most requested and price-volatile ingredients globally.
As such, supply chains for vanilla stretch far and wide to meet this demand, and initiatives concerning its sustainability continue to grow.
The industry’s cohort of next-generation technologies featured prominently at the recent FiE 2022 event held in Paris, France. Each year, the Startup Innovation Challenge 2022 shines a spotlight on companies breaking new ground in the food industry.
One of this year’s winners was Israeli-based Vanilla Vida. The company has “cracked the code on vanilla flavor potency” with its computer-guided curing process and other high-tech cultivation methods, which the company claims can scientifically craft each batch of vanilla to a specific taste.
The company’s production system earned the Most Innovative Processing Technology award. Its win comes just two years after its founding.
“Vanilla Vida grows and delivers top-quality, tailor-made vanilla beans that perfectly meet the market’s demand and business needs, ensuring a stable supply chain and maximum flavor,” Gali Fried, VP of business development and marketing, told FoodIngredientsFirst.
In other new R&D developments, researchers are investigating how to create vanilla strains that are naturally resistant to Fusarium at the University of Florida. Vanilla crops worldwide have been devastated by this fungus, which is often spread by introducing contaminated plants.
The project led by vanilla expert Dr. Daphna Havkin-Frenkel and Dr. Alan Chambers follows the complete mapping of the vanilla genome and now seeks to understand the functions of individual genes. Read more about the ongoing breeding project in The World of Food Ingredients.
Companies mentioned
Related categories
Related news
![Roquette at Fi Europe: Empowering people and planet via plant-based innovation [Interview]](/47/pdcnewsitem/12/35/84/th123584.png)
Roquette at Fi Europe: Empowering people and planet via plant-based innovation [Interview]
26 Jan 2024
Presenting its latest F&B solutions under the banner of ‘Empowering healthier and more sustainable food choices’, Roquette’s appearance at the most recent edition of Fi Europe coincided with the innovative company’s 90th anniversary.
Read more![Emsland at Fi Europe 2023: Leading the field in sustainability and future-proofed food [Interview]](/47/pdcnewsitem/12/35/83/th123583.png)
Emsland at Fi Europe 2023: Leading the field in sustainability and future-proofed food [Interview]
26 Jan 2024
Germany-headquartered Emsland is a vegetable protein and fibre pioneer responding in earnest to the food sector’s sustainability challenge, while supporting its customers to develop plant-based, clean label and nutritionally enhanced products through “...
Read more
Stand out from the shelf and put Health First with Prebiotic Chicory Root Fibres
22 Jan 2024
If you are looking to differentiate from all other products on the market, then innovating with proven prebiotics should be your next New Product Development. When it comes to food and drink choices, consumers often take into consideration a manif...
Read more
SYNBALANCE ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST CAPSULE COLLECTION FOR INCLUSING HEALTH
20 Dec 2023
SynBalance, the biotics-oriented company, focused on delivering highly scientifically evidenced probiotic solutions, is proud to present THE ART OF WELL-BEING capsule collection.
Read more
Bioriginal expands the business in The Netherlands and Japan
13 Dec 2023
Bioriginal Food & Science Corp has completed two significant acquisitions that will expand the company’s global footprint in the EU and Asia.
Read more
Bioriginal expands in Germany acquiring plant-based oil products company
13 Dec 2023
Bioriginal has expanded into Germany with the acquisition of Pflanzenölmühle Kroppenstedt GmbH operating as Kroppenstedter Ölmühle, a century-old, family-owned mill that specializes in the pressing of plant-based oil products from c...
Read more
Bioriginal Acquires Softgel Co. To Expand Nutrition Products
13 Dec 2023
Bioriginal has expanded further into the United States with the acquisition of all the operating assets of Softgel Co. ("Softgel"), including a state-of-the-art softgel, squeeze tube and tincture manufacturing facility that specializes in enc...
Read more
ACT Expands Global Presence: New Sales Office in Spain in Febuary 2024
13 Dec 2023
ACT proudly announces the inauguration of a new sales office in Spain as of 1st of February 2024. This strategic expansion marks a significant milestone in the company's global growth initiative, aiming to strengthen its foothold in the European ma...
Read more
Bunge’s Beleaf™ PlantBetter: Elevating Plant-Based Alternatives to Match Dairy Butter - A breakthrough for taste, texture, and versatility on par with dairy butter
12 Dec 2023
Zaandam, The Netherlands, 20 November 2023 – Bunge, a global leader in food and agribusiness, introduces Beleaf™ PlantBetter, a ground-breaking plant-based alternative crafted to satisfy the growing demand for superior-tasting and environme...
Read more
ofi's Carbon Scenario Planner wins prestigious Food Ingredients Europe Award
12 Dec 2023
ofi’s Carbon Scenario Planner (CSP), a new digital tool developed to help food and beverage manufacturers model the impact of different scenarios for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has won the 2023 Sustainability Innovation Award at Food Ingre...
Read more