Annual and historical calendar of Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews as an engine of transformation in Papantla, Veracruz (Mexico)

Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews is one of the world's most prized spices for its flavor and aroma, historically linked to the Totonac culture of Veracruz. While the Totonac people shaped the transition from harvesting vanilla pods in the tropical forests of Papantla to cultivating cuttings in traditional agroforestry systems, both the culture and the vanilla crop currently face conservation challenges, primarily due to landscape modification and the inherent sociocultural changes this entails. Using participatory tools, this article sought to examine the traditional knowledge of local vanilla farmers about the changes this crop has undergone, both annually and historically. The study identified numerous adaptive strategies that producers have adopted in response to an unstable global market and climatic conditions disrupted by climate change, with water being a critical element for the crop's survival. These practices have not only been traditionally passed down through generations, but some have also emerged recently as a response to increasingly unpredictable rainfall and temperature patterns. Furthermore, four Commodity Boom-and-Bust Cycles were identified throughout the history of vanilla production in Papantla. Vanilla was then recognized not so much as an element of identity of the Totonac culture, but as an engine of transformation guided by market demands and climate change that shapes both the practices of local vanilla growers and their territory.