Symrise and Kellogg Company achieve ambitious target of 100% sustainably procured vanilla by 2020

"Symrise and Friends" partnerships support the next generation of vanilla farmers

18-Aug-2020 - Germany

Kellogg Company and Symrise have implemented a joint and ambitious three-year project in Madagascar to source 100% of Kellogg's vanilla sustainably from 2020. The continued success of the project is based on the joint commitment of the partners. Close cooperation with the vanilla growing communities in Ankavanana, Madagascar, enables the farmers and their families to pursue common goals.

"Through our integrated supply chain, this program is directly involved at the origin of vanilla cultivation," says Yannick Leen, Global Competence Director Vanilla, Symrise. "The partnership underlines the value of our active and cooperative year-round presence in this unique region. In return, the partnership guarantees premium vanilla quality, brings security of supply and creates added value and secure income for farmers.

In 2019, Kellogg joined the growing "Symrise and Friends" family of private sector partners. Together, the partners aim to create synergistic value for vanilla growing communities and the biodiverse environment. Kellogg brings extensive experience in Climate Smart Agriculture to the project. The initiative includes other partners such as Unilever, GIZ and Save the Children. Together with our project partners we can make a greater impact on the ground.

Côte d’Ivoire in April 2022. Adou Cyrielle, a Barry Callebaut agro-economist and trainer, shares her expertise on cocoa growth with farmer coaches from Madagascar so that they can transfer the new learnings to the 700 vanilla and cocoa farmers participating in the project.

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"Sustainable procurement of our ingredients means acting differently from the very beginning. That's why we work closely with the farmers who grow our raw materials," says Amy Senter, Chief Sustainability Officer of Kellogg Company. "Farmers like those in Madagascar grow more than vanilla for people around the world. They cultivate healthy soils, live in diverse ecosystems and form strong communities. At Kellogg, we want to help them achieve even more".

Real added value thanks to direct access to the origin of vanilla

Symrise's fully integrated approach is based on living close to the farmers and working closely with them every day of the year. This is designed to promote good agricultural practices and financial management among small farmers. In addition, it should enable farmers to manage their farms sustainably and be financially more resilient in a volatile market.

The company's holistic approach also includes community education and training and the introduction of alternative agricultural crops. This increases diversity and reduces the risk for small farmers. Additional crops include patchouli, vetiver and ginger. The farmers also learn to apply the practices of Climate Smart Agriculture to the cultivation of rice, the most important staple food for the Malagasy population.

The joint partnership between Kellogg and Symrise provides ongoing support and training to over 1,000 Malagasy vanilla growers. This helps to improve their livelihoods and protect the local environment.

A global approach to local partnerships

Symrise in Europe and Madagascar worked with Kellogg's teams in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA and Sydney, Australia, with financial support from Bridging the Gap, SDG Global Compact with GIZ with funding from the BMZ.

"'This partnership has further strengthened our close relationship with Kellogg. It helps to improve the global profile of our projects. They are essential to the quality and sustainability of our agriculture," said Yannick Leen. "We look forward to building on this and many other relationships as we help to build a more sustainable future."

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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