Together, the teams at Rikolto Project and nei distributed subsidised vanilla vines to smallholder outgrowers and established a Vanilla Centre of Excellence – to boost vanilla farming in the Mbeya region. This Centre of Excellence provides a central platform for knowledge sharing, technical training and best practice demos. Farmers gain access to critical resources and capacity-building programmes to enhance their productivity and adopt sustainable farming principles.

The project also promoted collaboration between farmers, processors and buyers, contributing to structured trading systems that ensure fair prices and better market access for smallholder farmers. By focusing on sustainable agriculture and climate resilience, the initiative contributed to the long-term viability of vanilla farming in the region.
Quotation

“Rikolto’s support was invaluable in making this initiative a success. The partnership underscores the power of collective efforts in driving sustainable agricultural development and empowering farming communities. The outcomes achieved reflect our ongoing commitment to fostering resilience, productivity, and sustainability within the vanilla value chain.”