Days numbered for you vanilla ice cream?

Vanilla isn’t just the planet’s second-most expensive spice—it’s a global icon of luxury ice cream.

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But a perfect storm of climate change, ecological strain, and extreme weather is threatening both the delicate vanilla orchid and the creamy dessert it flavours.

Madagascar supplies over 80% of the world’s natural vanilla, yet it's ground zero for climate vulnerability. Tropical cyclones—like Gamane in March 2024 and Ialy in May—have destroyed nearly half the vanilla harvests in key regions, with some farmers reporting losses up to 50%. These cyclones, combined with shifting seasonal rains and rising temperatures, stress the vines, which depend on specific conditions to bloom and bear fruit.