The French region of Brittany, located in the northwest of the country, has become an unexpected place for growing vanilla, a plant that traditionally grows in tropical climate zones, euro-pulse.ru reports.
Vanilla, a type of orchid, is usually grown in countries with hot and humid climates: Central America, Madagascar, Indonesia and West Africa. This plant has special requirements for growing conditions that were almost impossible to create in cooler European regions.
However, climate change has created an opportunity for Breton farmers to begin experimenting with this exotic crop. In collaboration with specialists from Reunion Island, local farmers have developed special greenhouses and mastered the technique of hand pollination of plants.
Interestingly, in its natural habitat, vanilla is pollinated by only one species of bee, the Melipona, which lives exclusively in Central America, the birthplace of the vanilla orchid. Since these bees are not present in most vanilla-growing regions, pollination is carried out by hand everywhere.
After several years of careful experimentation, the Breton farmers succeeded, harvesting their first crop of several hundred kilograms of vanilla. They are now presenting the results of their work at leading agricultural exhibitions in France, demonstrating how a traditionally tropical crop can adapt to European conditions thanks to climate change and innovative growing methods.
