Our Story
With passion
and dedication
Family business
At Vanille BV, we believe that strong family ties result in even better vanilla. Not only because we are a close-knit family business ourselves, but also because we work with the families in Madagascar who grow their vanilla with love and dedication. When you believe in something together, you can taste that in the quality.
When you truly believe in something, you can taste it in the quality
Our Story
Passion for fair trade
Our story begins in 2004 with Henk de Kroon, a man with a great passion for fair trade and pure flavor. Believing that vanilla could be more than just a luxury product, he traveled to Papua New Guinea. There, he worked with local farmers, provided training, and helped them gain access to microcredit through cooperatives, enabling them to cultivate high-quality vanilla alongside coffee. From the very beginning, we oversaw every aspect of the process: from blooming to fermentation, from plant to pod.
Ambition
As the world increasingly sought top-quality vanilla, our ambition grew. We expanded to India and eventually found our second home in the Sava region of Madagascar – the heart of vanilla cultivation. Over the years, and after numerous visits, we built a sustainable network there. No intermediaries, but direct collaboration with the farming families. This way, we keep margins fair, lines short, and quality high.
In 2020, Jef de Kroon, Henk’s grand-nephew, joined the company. With fresh ideas and the same passion for vanilla and people, he continues the family tradition. Together, we work every day towards a better world with better vanilla – from family to family.
MVO
Sustainability
At Vanille BV, we believe that real flavor can only be created if the world benefits as well. Sustainability is not a trend for us, but a natural starting point – from packaging to production, from farmer to consumer.
Smart Packaging, Smaller Footprint
We consciously pack our vanilla in PET. This material is light, easy to recycle, and breaks down faster than glass. This not only reduces the environmental impact but also saves significantly on CO₂ emissions during transport. Less weight means less fuel – and therefore a smaller ecological footprint.
Naturally Against Mold
Vanilla pods are fragile. A poor harvest or careless fermentation can lead to mold growth, resulting in quality loss and income loss for the farmer. That’s why Vanille BV developed a natural treatment that safely prevents and removes mold. This guarantees top quality – in a way that’s safe for people, nature, and the product.
Dedication
Planifolia Foundation
Through our involvement with the people behind vanilla, we established the Planifolia Foundation – named after the vanilla plant Vanilla planifolia. This foundation is a logical and necessary extension of our mission: improving the lives and work of the farming families in Madagascar.
The foundation focuses on better living conditions, education, access to healthcare, and sustainable farming practices. By investing locally in knowledge, infrastructure, and well-being, we are building a strong future together – where humans and nature work in balance.
Because when we take good care of today’s world, we’ll harvest the flavor of tomorrow.
The highest quality
At Vanille BV, you are assured of products that not only offer the highest
quality but also meet the demands of the modern market. Whether you are a producer,
wholesaler, or retailer, we provide flexible and reliable solutions for your vanilla needs.