LAFAZA | Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
Nathaniel Delafield and Sarah Osterhoudt, two of the founders of LAFAZA, had no idea what journey awaited them when they first traveled to Madagascar for the Peace Corps. After working closely with local vanilla and clove farmers, the husband-and-wife team fell in love with Madagascar, the culture and the fragrant crops they were growing. Unfortunately, the farmers in the area were struggling to sell their vanilla for fair prices. Inspired by these hardworking communities, Nathaniel and Sarah began to develop a sustainable, direct-trade model that would benefit the farmers with fair compensation and protect the forests and the environment.
The pair joined forces with Nathaniel’s brother, James, and together started bringing vanilla to the United States. Thus LAFAZA was born. The Oakland, California-based company first started selling vanilla beans and making vanilla extract and then expanded their line to include their ground vanilla. As their business continues to grow, the three are committed to staying true to their founding principles—forests, farmers and of course, flavor.
