we specialize in exporting premium Ugandan vanilla
to global markets. Our mission is to provide the highest-quality vanilla while supporting ethical farming and sustainable trade practices
Sourcing and processing
- We source directly from farmers who are supported and guided by an extension workers to ensure that the right quality vanilla bean is purchased.
- Quality Control: Beans are bought fresh and ripe at harvest time. Farmers are taught how to determine ripeness, harvest, appropriate storage of harvested beans and proper transportation to our factory are emphasised to maintain a high-quality safe bean.
- Process: Once vanilla is received at the factory we sort, buy then clean . The vanilla is then cured based on the type of cured bean we are aiming for. For the traditionally cured we use the sun whilst the rapid cure we use a very efficient process that uses centralised hot water to cure the beans. We store, pack and ship to our customers.
Sustainability
- We promote adopting practices that ensure long term viability of vanilla production, whilst protecting the environment and supporting the livelihoods of farmers.
Environmental sustainability; We discourage deforestation as vanilla is a crop that likes shades so fruit trees, coffee and other tree intercropping is encouraged which in turn prevents monoculture. Use of pesticides and herbicides is totally discouraged thus harm to humans and the environment is avoided. Vanilla is an orchid and its cultivation helps preserve biodiversity and capture carbon from the atmosphere. We promote climate smart vanilla farming.
Social and Economic sustainability: We aim for farmers to get a fair price for the vanilla so as to improve the farmers livelihoods. We empower farmers through training and access to resources to help them adopt sustainable farming practices. This support helps in social and economic community development. We encourage intergenerational skill transfer which we have seen in in the last 37 years in business, especially as vanilla is typically managed by small holder farmers due to its demand for attention and considerable patience, subsequently ensures long term sustainability of the vanilla industry.
Curing practices
- We practice both traditional (sun drying) and hot water source curing. Both are efficient and environmentally friendly ways of curing which preserve the flavour and quality of the vanilla beans. The method also reduces reliance on fossil fuels.
Packing and Export
We also use freights where the journey is limited to reduce our the carbon foot prints.
