The value of vanilla has reached $600 a kilogram in Madagascar, where about 80 percent of the world's vanilla is harvested, reports The Seattle Times. The price is up from $50 a kilogram in 2013 as growing Western demand for the flavoring is partly driving the price spike and supply was diminished by a cyclone that ravaged crops last year on the island.
With the perfect climate and soil for growing vanilla, the Sava region of Madagascar is in the midst of an economic boom. The windfall, however, has come at a cost. Vanilla's high price, combined with poverty and national issues, has made the crop a favorite target of violent criminal networks, according to the report. Full Story
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