About us

The founders

Naomy and Rosemine are two sisters born in Madagascar, where their family has cultivated and conditioned vanilla for exporters since 1978. They have inherited the know-how to ensure the quality of our production whether it is gourmet or industrial grade vanilla.

Naomy is the manager of Pure Vanilla and ensures marketing and distribution of the vanilla production in Sambava while Rosemine oversees selecting and curing the vanilla beans.

Our certifications

Quality, fairness, respect for people and their environment: at Pure Vanilla, we choose an entirely responsible approach. Lacon organic certification was obtained in 2016 and the Flo Cert fair trade certification was launched in 2017. By putting people at the heart of the liberal economic system, fair trade tends to restore the ecological balance and allows a leap forward in the quality of vanilla.

Labels help to ensure that the product meets strict and clear standards. Here is the presentation of the different labels you can find on our products:

LACON ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

LACON organic certification procedure begins with a description of the company that also covers the possibility of correct separation in space or time of organic production from conventional production. The description must include the processes involved in production of, the ingredients used in and the labeling of all organic products. The LACON auditor verifies the description and compliance with the requirements of the Organic Regulation. They carry out an announced inspection once a year; in addition, unannounced inspections may also be conducted. During the inspections, they check purchases, storage, production processes, recipes, balance of quantities, labeling, preventative measures to avoid contamination or co-mingling (“organic HACCP”).

FLO CERT FAIR TRADE CERTIFICATION

Fair trade ensures that small-scale farmers and workers in developing countries around the world have the opportunity to earn a sustainable living. An alternative to conventional trade, Fair trade guarantees that producers receive a minimum price for their Fair trade products and a premium payment, which they commit to investing into their businesses and communities. Within the Fair trade system Flo Cert’s role is very clear. They carry out independent inspections of producers and traders around the world to verify that they’re complying with the Fair trade Standards.

Sustainable development

While striving to deliver Premium quality vanilla, we believe that sustainable development is the only way to seize vanilla as a lever for economic and social inclusive development in the region where it is grown in Madagascar.

We work in close partnership with the association of planters Lavarondra for:

  • The improvement of education,
  • The improvement of health services,
  • Investment in families, community well-being, and the protection of farmers,
  • The improvement of farmers’ incomes.
Our ongoing sustainable development projects are at the pilot village of Andranovato, 50 km from Sambava, home to 575 people and the independent association Lavarondra:
  • Signature of the agreement of vines purchasing between Lavarondra association members and Pure Vanilla (250 vines per member). Objective is to strengthen vanilla plans during rain and hurricanes season to reduce losses that might reach 50% some years.
  • Purchase of raincoats, rubber boots, and torch lamps for association members. Objective is to allow them to work in better conditions during wet season and especially when they must look after the vanilla plants in the fields from December to April;
  • We also worked on drawing a better basis for sustainable development scheme while emphasizing on increased responsibilities for women. To do so, we asked Lavarondra members to find their own methodologies so as to increase their ownership in this long term project.
  • We carry on funding school equipment for teachers and pupils.
  • A training has started two years ago on land management including organic and non-use of pesticides. The last session was driven in October 2017.
  • In Andranovato, the distancing of water points is a problem for the drinking water supply of the population. They have to travel several kilometers to access a source of drinking water. This has negative consequences on their health because the distancing encourages the use of surrogate waters of dubious quality, which favors the emergence of water-borne diseases (diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, etc.), but also on the schooling of children because of the weight and the duration of the water chore which they are often charged.
    Establishing sustainable access to drinking water is therefore an important factor in improving living and health conditions, but it also allows children to go to school and women to spend their time on other activities than the chore of water which sometimes lasts several hours. We are putting in place the first well in the village to supply water to the village of Andranovato which is hours away for water points, the aim being to build a well in each village.
  • School enrollment rate remains low, despite improvements in infrastructure in recent years. Our goal is to work, given the low literacy rate, on the content provided in the existing infrastructure. We believe that it is important to bring cultural content. Today, in the villages, young people and children cannot afford to go to Sambava, so we provide them with books and magazines, in partnership with the village partners who will manage them as we are setting up a library within the village school.