LAFAZA Foods, an innovator in developing sustainable supply chains for specialty products in Madagascar, has announced the launch of a new Organic Certified product line of high-quality Madagascar vanillas in 2016. The product line, available for retail, foodservice, and bulk/manufacturer customers, will include gourmet and manufactory grade vanilla beans, 1-fold and 2-fold vanilla extracts, and pure ground vanilla bean powder.
“We are really looking forward to the launch of this new Organic product line in early 2016,” says Danny Hervol, who is LAFAZA’s Madagascar Director. “Organic Certification is very difficult to do effectively in remote villages in Madagascar, but LAFAZA’s model is ideal for bringing this, and other planned certifications like Fair Trade, to markets on a large scale.”
“Forests, Farmers, Flavors” is the tag-line for LAFAZA Foods, which produces high-quality flavor products from Madagascar. This “Triple-F Bottom Line” has guided the company’s evolution for the past ten years from co-founders’ early Peace Corps experiences working with rural smallholder producers. Since that time, LAFAZA staff and operations have grown significantly in both Madagascar and in the company’s U.S. base in Oakland, CA.
“LAFAZA uses a unique model within the vanilla industry in Madagascar,” says Co-Founder and CEO, Nathaniel Delafield. “Very few companies in the world trade directly with rural Malagasy vanilla growers on the ground in their home villages.” Because LAFAZA is involved at all points in the value chain, the company is able to offer significant direct benefits like fair-trade prices, real-time market information, and community development assistance to farming communities. Full oversight of the supply chain also allows LAFAZA to assure the quality that made Madagascar famous for vanilla continues to be available to customers.
LAFAZA’s conventional retail vanilla line is currently available nationally through several distributors, including KEHE, Renaissance Specialty Foods, and Associated Buyers. The new Organic line will be included in LAFAZA’s distribution channels in late-winter or early-spring 2016. LAFAZA also works with regional foodservice distributors and directly with many foodservice and manufacturing customers to supply top-quality competitively-priced vanilla and spices.
LAFAZA’s values remain rooted in three long-term commitments toward sustainability:
Great Flavors
LAFAZA strives to offer the best quality natural flavors to its customers. Only high-quality, organically grown spices are used to create its products. Facilities in Madagascar and Oakland, CA provide meticulous food safety and quality controls. Great products lead to long-term customer relationships, consistent sourcing, and greater impact in more rural farming communities.
Healthy Forests
LAFAZA’s partners grow spices in complex agroforestry systems that work much like natural forest. Vanilla, cloves, black pepper, and cinnamon grow alongside coffee, fruit trees, and a vast diversity of native hardwoods in lush fields that promote soil regeneration, water filtration, and animal habitats. Healthy soils and clean water produce better quality flavors and improve the natural environment.
Farmer Livelihoods
LAFAZA is committed to ethical, direct trade with smallholder farmers, and to increasing livelihoods in rural Madagascar communities where the company works. Farmers receive training, organizational support, and higher incomes for their products. The company partners with communities to build rural libraries and local tree nurseries. LAFAZA’s unique relationship with farmers leads to a deeper commitment to product quality and to sustainable long-term production strategies.
Source: Lafaza Foods