Vanilla & Spice is a Black-female-owned business which works directly with small farmers in Madagascar to offer Canadians the most sought-after vanilla beans in the world. Co-founders Nomena and Aina are childhood friends born in Madagascar who made Toronto their home 15 years ago. In 2019, Nomena travelled back to Madagascar and met small vanilla growers seeking to enlarge their horizons. Big importing corporations from North America work mostly with large producers who dominate the export market. The biggest challenges faced by small growers are geographical distance, the language barrier and cultural differences. Seeing an opportunity to support small vanilla growers and bridge the gap, the two women decided to launch Vanilla & Spice. Their products are available for retail at www.vanillaandspice.ca or wholesale via 100km Foods.