Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices on the market, second only to saffron. Madagascar produces nearly 80% of the world's vanilla, yet they are one of the poorest countries in the world. The farmers work in harsh conditions and are compensated disproportionately to the amount of effort that is required for the cultivation of vanilla. The Madagascar government allows the police force to oversee vanilla, as the value of vanilla creates a biased agenda. The police are subsequently corrupted by the monetary compensation from the vanilla and allow theft and misconduct to run rampant in return. In 2016 the hurricane Enawo further complicated vanilla production by destroying about 30% of Madagascar's vanilla—equating to nearly half of the
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While in the future the government is able to pass responsible legislation as Paraguay did, the Madagascar citizens may not be able to speak out in protest. Instead, all of the vanilla is collected together and exported making it impossible to track what vanilla is coming from farmers and what percent in stollen. Worst yet, the authorities purchase the illegitimate vanilla, acting more as an enemy rather than an ally. The value of the vanilla is the predominate corrupting factor that has allowed for both the police to control the vanilla trade and for the government to turn a blind eye to the …show more content…
When enjoying coffee with a spoonful of vanilla, one doesn't think about all the people who have contributed to getting it into my hands. The injustice permeating the vanilla market comes from a systemic level of oppression involving the government, businesses and down to the consumer. It’s our duty as consumers to look holonicly at the product we are consuming and make informed, moral choices. For the Vanilla crisis this entails examining the culture and labor practices surrounding the production of vanilla and acknowledging the erasure of indigenous knowledges surrounding the issue and the injustices faced by those
While in the future the government is able to pass responsible legislation as Paraguay did, the Madagascar citizens may not be able to speak out in protest. Instead, all of the vanilla is collected together and exported making it impossible to track what vanilla is coming from farmers and what percent in stollen. Worst yet, the authorities purchase the illegitimate vanilla, acting more as an enemy rather than an ally. The value of the vanilla is the predominate corrupting factor that has allowed for both the police to control the vanilla trade and for the government to turn a blind eye to the …show more content…
When enjoying coffee with a spoonful of vanilla, one doesn't think about all the people who have contributed to getting it into my hands. The injustice permeating the vanilla market comes from a systemic level of oppression involving the government, businesses and down to the consumer. It’s our duty as consumers to look holonicly at the product we are consuming and make informed, moral choices. For the Vanilla crisis this entails examining the culture and labor practices surrounding the production of vanilla and acknowledging the erasure of indigenous knowledges surrounding the issue and the injustices faced by those