'What joy! What damn joy!': vanilla boom transforms fortunes of Colombia's farmers

In El Valle, the world's second-most expensive spice is not just providing an economic lifeline but also helping to preserve rich biodiversityAs he wanders around a corner of his land, inspecting his crops, Luilly Murillo González stops and leans down to examine a twisting green vine. He spots four budding flowers, early indications that he will soon harvest his prized product: vanilla."What joy! What damn joy!" he says, shaking his fists in the air, a smile spreading across his face. "Growing vanilla requires a lot of love. You have to be enamoured of the crop, passionate about it." Continue reading...