Albius, Edmond
1829-1880 · Contribution: 1841
Horticultural Innovator (enslaved)
Invented the hand-pollination technique for vanilla orchids at age 12, the method still used to produce roughly 80% of the world's vanilla today
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1829
- Active since
- 1841
- Category
- Agriculture & Food
- Best known for
- Vanilla hand-pollinationGlobal vanilla industryFreed 1848
Impact on the world
Albius turned vanilla from a crop pollinated by a single Mexican bee species into one that could be grown commercially anywhere the orchid survives, creating an entire global industry. His hand-pollination method underpins roughly 80% of the vanilla produced today.
An alternative history
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Sources
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BlackPast.org
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