Asia

Asia has been the most important spice continent for Europe for centuries, but there is increasing competition from countries in Africa and South and Central America, such as Madagascar, Cameroon and Guatemala.

The early spice trade from the Far East had long been characterized by strict confidentiality. Violence was not avoided. For example, in 1821, Jan Pieterszoon Coen, admiral of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), slaughtered the people of Banda to preserve the secret of nutmeg.

Europeans still play a significant role in the spice trade from Asia, but they have also changed the landscape, even in recent history. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, French specialists revived the pepper cultivation they had previously introduced in Kampot, Cambodia.

In many places in Asia you see initiatives emerging to help farmers and farming communities support in shaping a sustainable agricultural existence while preserving its own identity and traditions. Biodiversity and cultural diversity go hand in hand, as in India's Wayanad and in the Vietnamese, Nepalese, and Indian Himalayas, where wild harvesting is increasingly becomes more sustainable.