The hot and humid forest of Chinantla, a region in the state of Oaxaca just over 100 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico, provides a perfect environment for growing vanilla. In 15th century, precious vanilla from Chinantla was already paid in tribute to Aztec emperor Montezuma, and its name in the local language, kuo li gm, dates back to that time. Then, vanilla was more valued as a fragrance than as a spice and was used by Aztec women to scent the oil pressed from mamey seeds and to dress their hair.
Vanilla farming fell into neglect in the 19th century and was only revived in the 1990s as an alternative to coffee farming which was and still is the main activity of the inhabitants of the area. Chinantla is the only region in the world where vanilla grows wild, as well as the area with the species' greatest genetic diversity. Here, five or six different varieties have been identified, though not all have been fully documented. This genetic diversity and the presence of wild vanilla plants suggest that Chinantla could be the area in which vanilla first originated.
The scientific name of the vanilla plant, an orchid, is Vanilla planifolia, but it's known locally as colibrí.
In Chinantla, vanilla vines are cultivated in forests where they grow on and up citrus and banana plants or on local trees like Honduras Mahogany, known as Caoba. Vanilla leaves are long, thick, silky, and dark green, and the flowers sprout off the vine in bunches, like those on a grape vine. Vanilla blossoms contain both male and female organs. A fine membrane divides the flower's stigma from its rostellum and must therefore be lifted by hand, while the flower is gently pressed to pollinate the blossom. This delicate operation is carried out in the early hours of the morning between the end of March and the beginning of May. For every large bunch of flowers, no more than three or four flowers must be pollinated, since the fewer seedpods that form the higher their quality. The fresh vanilla bean is pulpy and bright green, grows up to 15-25 centimeters long, and contains thousands of tiny seeds. Straight after the harvest, vanilla beans are brought in the beneficio: here they are gathered in sealed bags, laid in the sunlight for 5 hours, so that they achieve a temperature of 72-75°C. This operation is called quemado. The next step is the secado: the beans are laid in the sunlight 4-5 hours a day for 15 sunny days. The whole process lasts more or less two months and at the end, the beans have to be soft and flexible with a deep brown coffee color.


The Presidium
This presidium began in Rancho Grande, a small agricultural network that includes around 200 farmers coordinated by agronomist Raúl Manuel Antonio. This network has created various small agricultural development systems that produce high-quality foods such as coffee and vanilla, and received the Slow Food Award in 2000. Rancho Grande has now become a model for many groups of farmers. The presidium, initially developed in the communities of Rancho Grande, Cerro Verde and Flor Batavia, now involves a great number of communities in chinateca region and deals with all the phases of the production of the precious varieties of local vanilla.
In 2004, works on the production protocol began –now accepted by all the producers- and a small group of farmers (they call themselves the 'Forest Guardians') agreed to follow a series of self-imposed guidelines to improve quality and reduce impact on the forest. The presidium producers are participating in a series of theoretical and practical courses coordinated by the local experts Elías García Martínez, Teatinos Martínez Velasco and Longino Tenorio Mendoza.
The presidium is also working to identify the various varieties of vanilla with the help of the Veracruz Center for Tropical Studies (CITRO), led by biologist Arturo Gómez-Pompa. For techinical assistance, the presidium is collaborating with the Agropecuario No.3 Technical Institute in Tuxtepec.

Production area
Oaxaca State Municipalities of San Felipe Usila, San Juan Bautista, Valle Nacional, San Andrés Teutila, San Andrés Teotilapan and San Pedro Ixcatlán