01 — Why this initiative?
Vanilla is an exceptional product, yet its market remains difficult to understand. Madagascar is a major producer of natural vanilla, while many growing families still face hardship. Drawing on experience with producers, cooperatives, economic operators, exporters and former public responsibilities, the founder proposes using technology to reduce information gaps. Production, quality, financing, storage and trade all matter: a lack of transparency need not be inevitable.
02 — The ambition
Give growers better tools to understand the market, negotiate their harvest and earn a better living. This is not about opposing growers to exporters or Madagascar to international buyers. Every participant deserves remuneration for work, investment and risk. The ambition is a stronger place for producers in a sustainable value chain, not a promise of income gains already achieved.
03 — The proposed institution
International Vanilla Market Observatory (IVMO) is the provisional name of a proposed private, independent institution with an international mission. It would welcome actors from producing and importing countries, without serving a government, company or commercial group. Its first responsibility would be credible information on prices and market conditions. A professional international marketplace is a longer-term possibility to study, not an operating exchange.
04 — First priorities
Study confidential collection of completed sales to develop comparable references by quality, producing region and commercial stage. Plan simple dissemination through phones, SMS, cooperatives and producer organizations, including Malagasy when needed. Support understanding of quality, contracts, sales terms and collective marketing; encourage traceability and clear specifications. These outreach and transaction-collection services are proposed, not active on this platform.
05 — Founder-led, internationally shared
The founder intends to bring together the first participants and partners, building on sector experience and earlier ministerial advocacy for international cooperation in vanilla. This is a private initiative, separate from public administration and changes of government. The future institution must not depend on one person: credibility should rest on governance, the quality of its work and trust. Producers must have a real place alongside participants from producing and consuming countries.
06 — Independence and accountability
Reliable data, transparent calculations and protected commercial confidentiality are essential. Funders must not influence published findings. Independent controls and clear conflict-of-interest rules are proposed safeguards. The objective is to explain how prices form, not to set prices in place of the market. The committee, oversight arrangements and partners remain to be constituted; none is presented as already appointed.
07 — A phased approach
First, convene a small international initiative committee to deepen the diagnosis, review existing initiatives and study legal, financial and technical conditions. Second, propose a voluntary Madagascar pilot with growers, cooperatives and operators to test reliable transaction collection and useful grower tools. Third, gradually extend to other producing countries and major international markets. These are proposed stages, not announced completed milestones.
08 — Resources and accessible information
The initiative needs expertise in economics, international trade, statistics, technology, law and rural development, plus resources for studies, consultations and field trials. Economic actors, development institutions, foundations and specialist organizations are invited to discuss support. A sustainable model should diversify funding and preserve independence. Essential information that helps growers negotiate must remain accessible.
09 — Measure real usefulness
Success should be measured beyond meetings, reports and partner counts. Can growers access better information and compare offers? Do they have more selling options? Can cooperatives negotiate on better terms? Are producing families’ incomes improving sustainably? The ambition is international, but its usefulness must also be demonstrated in Madagascar’s producing villages. No measured impact is claimed at this stage.
10 — The founder’s commitment
Vanilla is more than an export product: it embodies agricultural wealth, know-how and the livelihoods of many families in Madagascar. The founder’s commitment is to gather willing partners and build something serious, independent and lasting, with producers at its heart. The initiative cannot solve every sector difficulty on its own. Its purpose is to help growers better defend the value of their work and their families’ future.