Réunion Island boasts a rich and diverse agri-food heritage — Bourbon vanilla, agricultural rum, turmeric, lychees, Victoria pineapples — but still struggles to convert this potential into significant export flows. As opportunities multiply across the Indian Ocean, the island's economic players are working to structure an exportable offer that meets the expectations of neighboring markets and beyond.
High-Value Products but an Export Chain to Build
Réunion produces several products with protected geographical indications (PGI) or high added value: agricultural rum (ranked among the world's best craft rums), Bourbon vanilla (one of the most prized globally), Péi turmeric, and fresh lychees. These products carry a premium image on European, Asian, and American markets. Yet exported volumes remain modest compared to the potential identified by industry players.
Indian Ocean Markets as a Springboard
Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, and Comoros are natural outlets for Réunion producers. Geographic proximity and regional economic ties — notably through the EU-ESA agreement in force for these territories — offer advantageous tariff conditions. The Journées Export Agro 2026, organized with Business France, provides a support lever for local companies in their international prospecting efforts.
Agri-Food as a Pillar of Economic Diversification
In a context where Réunion records an 18% unemployment rate — double that of mainland France — and where the island is betting on its "Nouvelle Économie" to create local value, the development of exporting agri-food industries represents both an economic and social imperative. Every job created in processing and export logistics is a job rooted in the local economy, impossible to offshore.
Why It Matters
Réunion suffers from a structurally negative trade balance: it imports far more than it exports. Developing agri-food exports is one of the few paths that simultaneously valorizes local know-how, creates durable jobs, and rebalances the trade deficit. The EU-ESA agreement opens 450 million European consumers to regional countries — an asset that Réunion, as a European territory in the Indian Ocean, must better leverage.
Sources: DAAF Réunion / Business France / La1ere