Honduras

Diverse Coffee-Producing Community

Today, more than 100,000 families across Honduras are involved in coffee production. 95% of these are small-scale farmers and 70% farm on fewer than 2 hectares (representing some 30% of the country’s total production). The vast majority of farmers (95% or more) rely on family labour for all aspects of agricultural and harvest labour. Perhaps most notable (and unusual for Central America, where an aging population presents real challenges to long-term sustainability for coffee), the average age of producers in Honduras is falling. With an average of 46 years old, the composite Honduran coffee farmer is 10 years younger than they were 10 years ago. Barring the Benjamin Button effect, several factors have aligned in keeping younger people in coffee, including investment and promotion by the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) and Honduras’ success in accessing specialty markets.

In addition to internal and external promotion, IHCAFE offers technical assistance and training to farmers, helps with establishing nurseries and greenhouses, has established innovative pest management and early warning systems, and has been working on a project to provide producers access to low interest loans to buy processing equipment. In 2004, the organization helped set up a national cupping school, which provides comprehensive training for cuppers and gives young people the opportunity to build a career in coffee quality control.

Further initiatives launched by IHCAFE, including the country’s first Appellation of Origin in 2005 and participation in the Cup of Excellence program, have gone a great distance toward solidifying the country’s reputation as a producer of exceptional quality coffee. Indeed, coffee production has improved rapidly. Even the coffee leaf rust crisis that hit the country so hard in 2011/12 has been largely contained, with many farmers being driven to renovate and plant far more than they lost.

Honduras also struggles with high rainfall and drying is a severe issue for many producers. The country’s rainy climate makes using drying patios difficult in some regions, with coffees being prone to over-fermentation. Instead, producers are encouraged by IHCAFE to use polytunnels (known as ‘domos’) or solar dryers to dry their specialty lots.