Overview
- Models project that by 2050 several Central American wild vanilla species could lose over half their ecological ranges under both moderate and low-protection climate scenarios.
- Habitat suitability for all seven examined bee pollinators is expected to decline, shrinking plant–pollinator overlap by 60–90% and threatening natural reproduction.
- Cultivated Vanilla planifolia carries low genetic diversity that heightens its susceptibility to climate extremes, pests and pathogens.
- Wild vanilla species represent vital genetic reservoirs that could bolster cultivation resilience if conserved effectively.
- The authors call for global research partnerships, habitat protection and support for smallholder farmers to secure future vanilla supplies.