Janet Sawyer MBE BEM is one hell of a woman! She is on a mission to save the vanilla pod from the very real threat of extinction. With 97% of vanillin used in the west being artificial, the vanilla pod was at risk of being lost within one generation. Most vanilla is grown in Madagascar, which puts it at high-risk due to environmental factors such as storms and drought.

Having won a Queen's Award for Sustainable Development, they also produce vanilla pods from their own collaborative orchard in Indonesia. They encouraged the Indonesian government to restart their vanilla industry again by planting vanilla vines for reforestation in peat bog areas that were made barren from palm oil planting. LittlePod's products are a vehicle to allow the company to work on community projects in Madagascar and Indonesia, supporting farmers and families in these areas. Janet also pioneered what is now called Social Prescribing and was awarded the British Empire Medal for her contribution to Employment and Culture followed by the East Devon Champion Award.

So what is International Real Vanilla Day?

Taking place on 17th October each year, International Real Vanilla Day brings together the voices of vanilla from all over the world. From the farmers and the communities who protect and nurture the fragile ecosystems on the equatorial belt, to the professional chefs, home cooks and bakers who use real vanilla in their creations.

About LittlePod:

LittlePod was the first to commission a squeezy tube for its Natural Vanilla Paste to make real vanilla as convenient as possible to use, while helping to conserve this extraordinary crop.

If you're interested in talking to Janet or finding out more, please don't hesitate to get in touch.