Last week, the most powerful storm in 13 years struck hit Madagascar. The storm, Enawo, reached the island in the SAVA region where Barry Callebaut and Prova launched their joint project to introduce cocoa farming to Madagascar’s main vanilla producing area.
Tropical cyclone Enawo hit Madagascar North to South with strong winds, heavy rains and floods. Some of the affected areas are still inaccessible and communication infrastructure is impaired.
According to the latest official reports, Cyclone Enawo has affected 176,000 people, of which 53,000 are located in Antalah – one of the main producing areas of natural vanilla in Madagascar.
Producer of cocoa, Barry Callebaut and manufacturers of vanilla extracts, Prova, joined forces to diversify and stabilise revenues of vanilla farmers through the introduction of cocoa farming last autumn.
The joint project’s activities focused on the SAVA region, the main vanilla growing in the northern part of Madagascar. Young cocoa trees were being planted shortly before the storm.
Damages have affected vanilla and cocoa and other cash crops such as rice and cloves – essential to the livelihood of local populations.
“Our local teams have mobilised to support the local communities in their first needs, making the assessment of damages and organising the most suited response,” said Alessandra Ognibene-Lerouvillois, Chief Sustainability Officer at Prova.
To support the local farmers and cover the basic costs of living after losses, both Barry Callebaut and Prova have decided to donate CHF 50,000.
These funds will be used for food, drinkable water supply, fixing damaged houses, basic infrastructure rebuilding and protecting non damaged vanilla plots against thefts.
Oliver von Hagen, Sustainability Manager Global Sourcing at Barry Callebaut, said: “Currently, we do not know the full extent of the damages and how this will affect the current project of Prova and Barry Callebaut. But it is important to us that we can help the local farmers in a pragmatic and fast way.”
