“The lush mountains in Madagascar’s northeast produce about 80 percent of the world’s vanilla, one of the most expensive flavors. Its price has soared, reaching more than $600 a kilogram last year, or about $270 a pound — more than silver — compared with $50 a kilogram in 2013. The windfall, however, has come at a cost. Vanilla’s high price, combined with rampant poverty and a corrupt, weak state, has made the crop a favorite target of violent criminal networks.”

Source: Precious as Silver, Vanilla Brings Cash and Crime to Madagascar – The New York Times