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One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

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Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#91

Post by milesvp »

rch wrote: post #55
sov wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AS someone with vanilla, I'm gonna disagree with you a bit here. Growing your own vanilla is very difficult ( assuming you're not in a place where it grows outside naturally). Not only do you need a significant amount of greenhouse space (you're right--20' minimum to flower, but the vines can grow up to 120'), you also need all the very specific orchid growing conditions--low water/nutrient, high drainage soil (or ba…

Thanks for correcting me! At the time I was growing some finicky orchids already, but I'm sure the extra context is extremely helpful.

I was just wondering if 'vanilla not being hard to grow' was compared to some other orchids, which I understand to be some of the most finicky flowers to grow.

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#93

Post by nyolfen »

thx11389793 wrote: post #59
matthewwiese wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A "vanilla startup" is perhaps one of the most interesting ideas I've read in HN comments these past few weeks. If I may ask, are you from Madagascar or an expat? This is all quite new information to me so I am fascinated to learn more. Are there any sources you would recommend?

OT, but why are immigrants called expats when they're from anglophone nations?

class connotations. you'll see it applied to foreign, non-anglo elites as well.

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#94

Post by senorjazz »

DiffEq wrote: post #34
makmanalp wrote: post #23

> it's one of the few regions with the right climate that is also poor enough to make laborious hand-pollination affordable It's not like I didn't know that this is how the world works, but this specific case is even more of a slap in the face. It's kinda fucked up to think that in the local specialty store merely a couple pods of vanilla (a few grams each) go for 6-7 dollars, but these folks live in poverty. But mor…

Just because there is cheap labor here does not mean they live in poverty; in fact they do not. The cost and standard of living is much lower so the wage is not as bad as you think. Sure they don't drive BMWs and don't get their coffee at Starbucks or have a $1000 iphone but they are far from living in "poverty"; since the definition of "poverty" is poorly constructed. In any case lets say we accept they live in pove…

> The cost and standard of living is much lower so the wage is not as bad as you think. Sure they don't drive BMWs and don't get their coffee at Starbucks or have a $1000 iphone but they are far from living in "poverty

The standard of living is much lower. They don't have "things" because they cannot afford them. But they do want them. This is because of poverty.

Ask them. Would you like a house with hot and cold running water? A gas supply? A bedroom for each of your children? A telly in every room? Be a two car family? Then ask them why they don't have this? They will answer: poverty and life is a struggle.

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#95

Post by H1Supreme »

zaroth wrote: post #71

I paid $32 for a 32oz jug of vanilla extract off Amazon back in 2015. I just checked and the same container is now $140! [1] I’m going to have to start rationing! Check out the price graph: https://camelcamelcamel.com/Nielsen-Massey-Madagascar-Bourbo... [1] - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GE8N4Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qJtl...

Why so much? Do you own a bakery or something?

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#96

Post by zaroth »

H1Supreme wrote: post #95
zaroth wrote: post #71

I paid $32 for a 32oz jug of vanilla extract off Amazon back in 2015. I just checked and the same container is now $140! [1] I’m going to have to start rationing! Check out the price graph: https://camelcamelcamel.com/Nielsen-Massey-Madagascar-Bourbo... [1] - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GE8N4Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qJtl...

Why so much? Do you own a bakery or something?

Haha. No, but it never goes bad and I really liked paying $1/oz instead of more like $4/oz for the tiny bottles at the supermarket.

I do tend to make French toast for the kids a couple times a week, so we do use quite a bit. I usually just kinda splash it in the bowl, I guess I have to start measuring now!

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#97

Post by aatharuv »

raincom wrote: post #89
thx11389793 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OT, but why are immigrants called expats when they're from anglophone nations?

Many gulf countries don’t grant permanent residency or citizenship even if one is born there to legal migrants. So they are expats

Even in the Gulf countries, in many contexts, expat is used as a synonym for "white people", or at least people from rich countries. I used to live in Kuwait. In other countries it refers to any foreigners.

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#98

Post by Xixi »

thx11389793 wrote: post #59
matthewwiese wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A "vanilla startup" is perhaps one of the most interesting ideas I've read in HN comments these past few weeks. If I may ask, are you from Madagascar or an expat? This is all quite new information to me so I am fascinated to learn more. Are there any sources you would recommend?

OT, but why are immigrants called expats when they're from anglophone nations?

From an administrative perspective in the US an immigrant is someone who moves to the US with the intent of staying. Work and other temporary visas are called non-immigrant visas, and for example when I applied for my E-2 visa I had to clearly state that I had no intent to immigrate in the US (though I was applying to work in the US, I'm not an investor despite what the visa is called). As I fully intend to leave, I didn't have to lie about it.

Even in a more casual context, I know a lot of Japanese expats in US, and have never heard of any of them being called an immigrant: most come from one of the big Japanese banks (Mitsui Sumitomo, UFJ, etc.) and stay in NYC for two to five years, before heading back either to Japan. Cultural quirk: Japanese people are usually sent abroad right after purchasing a house in Japan, the management line of thought being that with the associated mortgage they won't quit even if they don't want to go abroad.

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#99

Post by tch_ »

DiffEq wrote: post #34
makmanalp wrote: post #23

> it's one of the few regions with the right climate that is also poor enough to make laborious hand-pollination affordable It's not like I didn't know that this is how the world works, but this specific case is even more of a slap in the face. It's kinda fucked up to think that in the local specialty store merely a couple pods of vanilla (a few grams each) go for 6-7 dollars, but these folks live in poverty. But mor…

Just because there is cheap labor here does not mean they live in poverty; in fact they do not. The cost and standard of living is much lower so the wage is not as bad as you think. Sure they don't drive BMWs and don't get their coffee at Starbucks or have a $1000 iphone but they are far from living in "poverty"; since the definition of "poverty" is poorly constructed. In any case lets say we accept they live in pove…

I'm not sure if you're trying to argue whether or not many Malagasy people live in poverty, but assuming you are: have you been to Madagascar?

Much of the island's vanilla is grown in the northeast region of the country, called the SAVA region, named after the towns of Sambava, Andapa, Vohemar, and Anthala. The sole overland connection to the rest of the island is a dirt road that goes through desert and is nearly impassable during the rainy season; during the dry season, it can take 6-8 hours to traverse. Other options are either lengthy boat trips or flights. Many of the Malagasy people live in huts that are either bamboo or corrugated metal, with little or no indoor plumbing and small solar panels for electricity. Over 100 people died last year from an out break of the bubonic plague due to very poor healthcare. If that is not poverty, what is?

That said, many of the Malagasy people do seem quite happy despite the living conditions.

Re: One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

#100

Post by astine »

aportnoy wrote: post #62

Madagascar isn't the smallest island on Earth, you know.

Indeed, Madagascar is larger than many nations. It's not surprising that a single nation should dominate trade in a particular good. About 60% of the world's cork comes from the Spain and Portugal which together have about the same landmass as Madagascar.
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