Name | Origin | Processing | Certification | |
---|---|---|---|---|
SHG EP | Copan, Comayagua, Agalta, Mentecillos, Opalaca and El Paraiso | Washed | None | Select |
HG EP | Copan, Comayagua, Agalta, Mentecillos, Opalaca and El Paraiso | Washed | None | Select |
SHG EP Rainforest Alliance | Copan, Comayagua, Agalta, Mentecillos, Opalaca and El Paraiso | Washed | RFA | Select |
While it is the largest coffee producer in Central America and a prominent producing country worldwide, Honduras has only recently started to gain recognition for its high-quality coffees. Situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Honduras shares borders with Nicaragua to the East, and Guatemala and El Salvador to the West. With a history of political instability and a lack of infrastructure, Honduras has been a little late out of the starting gate with respect to production of high quality coffee.
Annual production: | 6.5 million bags |
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Altitude range: | 1000 - 1600 masl |
No coffee farmers: | 100,000 |
Harvest times: | November - April |
Key growing regions: | Copan, Comayagua, Agalta, Mentecillos, Opalaca and El Paraiso |
Typical varieties: | Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Lempira, IHCAFE90 and Parainema |
Grading system: | Sorted by altitude; SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) 1200masl and above, and HB (Hard Bean) above 1000masl |
Processing type: | Washed, Honey and Natural |
Today coffee is a vital crop for Honduras. The primary areas of coffee cultivation are in the Western departments of Copan, close to the border with Guatemala, Opalaca and Montecillos near the El Salvadorian border, and the central regions of Agalta and Comayagua, and El Paraiso close to Nicaragua. Most coffee grown throughout these regions is by smallholder farms, each with an average of 2-5 hectares of land. There are over 100,000 farmers throughout Honduras (small holders account for over 90% of the country’s production) producing increasingly high quality coffee with ever increasing diversity of cup profile. Smallholders typically manage their farms with the help of families, employing local pickers during peak harvest, and either have small micro-mills and processing equipment on the farm, or access to these through nearby cooperatives and associations.