UF/IFAS Research: On the Verge of Developing a Domestic Industry for One of the World’s Most Valuable Spices

Vanilla takes the crown as the second most valuable spice (after saffron) and the world’s most popular flavor among consumers.

Now, University of Florida researchers in Homestead are on the verge of developing a domestic vanilla industry, poised to transform agriculture in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for interested small growers and investors.

Thanks to nearly $400,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (USDA-SSARE) program, scientists at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) can now pick up the pace on the most critical phase of an ongoing vanilla-breeding program blooming since 2017.

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