IFF and UEBT
Collaborating for the Future of Vanilla Sourcing in Madagascar
IFF and UEBT are working together to promote more ethical and resilient vanilla sourcing in Madagascar, one of the world’s most important yet most challenging vanilla sourcing regions. Through this partnership, IFF’s Sustainable Vanilla Program (SVP) combines direct company investment with UEBT’s technical expertise and field-level support.
“Vanilla is one of our most strategic ingredients,” said Yuvraj Arora, president of Taste, IFF “By investing directly at origin and partnering with UEBT, we are making long-term, targeted investments to strengthen supply security, quality and resilience while supporting the farming communities and ecosystems that sustain this critical supply chain.”
Designed in coordination with local suppliers NaturaVanilla and Biovanilla, this collaboration focuses on improving farmer livelihoods, strengthening biodiversity outcomes and building more resilient vanilla farming systems in the SAVA region( Sambava, Antalaha, Vohemar (Iharana) and Andapa).
From Commitment to Impact
In 2025, the IFF-UEBT partnership supported more than 1,500 vanilla farmers and their families, combining training on the best agricultural and biodiversity practices with tangible income support. Partnership activities included agroforestry and reforestation — resulting in nearly 100,000 trees planted as well as income diversification, access to microloans, educational support, the installation of improved cookstoves and solar kits and sanitation improvements.
UEBT plays a central role by providing technical guidance, monitoring implementation and ensuring that social and environmental actions are both locally relevant and aligned with UEBT’s internationally recognised ethical-sourcing principles.
“Initiatives like our Sustainable Vanilla Program enable us to deliver greater value to our customers. They turn sustainability commitments into tangible business value, delivering consistency, performance and trust shaped by increasingly conscious consumers. This allows us to translate the complexity of vanilla into high-performing solutions that help build differentiated brands,” said Yuvraj Arora, president of Taste, IFF.
Landscape-Focused Collaboration
The partnership between IFF and UEBT demonstrates how company investment in supplier engagement, combined with independent non-profit expertise, can address complex sustainability challenges in specific botanical landscapes.
“Some companies choose to collaborate with UEBT as part of their broader strategy for sourcing,” explains Rina Razanakolona, Director of UEBT Madagascar and the Global UEBT Leadership Team. “We’re always open to partnering with brands by supporting their work and advancing ethical sourcing practices across sectors and countries. We can team up with them to engage their suppliers in key sourcing landscapes on local development, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.”
As this partnership enters its next phase, IFF and UEBT will build on early results to deepen impact and reinforce long-term mitigation. For food and beverage brands, this collaboration offers a practical example of how investing at origin can support both responsible sourcing goals and strengthen supply-chain stability.
