Vanille from Vanibel

Vanilla culture in Guadeloupe began during the nineteenth century.
After having peaked in the 1920s, it gradually disappeared in favour of the banana and sugar cane industry. However certain agriculturalists managed to continue the culture of this plant, despite the great care that it requires, in particular during its fertilisation. It is this tradition that the Nelson family strives to perpetuate in the Vanibel estate high up in Vieux-Habitants.
The geographical location of this small farm is a major asset for the production of vanilla.
In fact, the proximity of the protected forests of the National Park of Guadeloupe allows it to remain surrounded by a carefully-conserved ecosystem which helps maintain the quality of agricultural produce. To work with this geographical feature, the Nelson family naturally made the choice to adopt agroforestry as their system of culture. Vanilla is therefore grown over coffee and cocoa trees, as well as other species. These associated cultures allow the retention of a certain biological diversity within the agricultural parcels, which encourages their integration into the natural forest landscape.