Honduras

Coffee has been grown in Honduras since the 18th century. Like most producing countries of the Americas, the coffee industry in Honduras has its roots in Spanish colonialism and the trans-atlantic slave trade. Through the country’s independence in 1821 and the land reforms and cooperativization movements of the 20th century, coffee remains largely in the hands of very small-scale growers. Despite a long commercial history with coffee, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the country’s government began investing heavily in production and producer assistance through the formation of the Instituto Hondureño del Cafe (IHCAFE). Honduras’ output boomed from the 1970s to the 1990s, more than doubling during this time, and the country was well-positioned to earn Fair Trade and Organic certifications for a large portion of its output, thanks to a strong network of grower associations and technical assistance. Honduras’ role as a volume supplier of mid-level milds is still its most pervasive identity to many buyers world-wide. However, after more than 15 years of Cup of Excellence competitions and slow and steady specialty development from within, Honduras has realized some extremely well-regarded top tier cup profiles and a handful of large estates and small-farm communities alike. Like Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama, Honduras’ coffee producers have been working for years to define the next generation of quality for themselves in their country, according to their own culture and relationship to farming. While less-often recognized for doing so, they are nonetheless helping buyers see potential in Honduras with new eyes, and already benefiting from some of the longest-lived relationships in specialty coffee anywhere in Central America.

Honduras is still, unfairly in our estimation, known as a resource for large volumes of low-specialty quality–think soft, mild cups with herbal or nutty flavors, and minimal citrus. Being the largest exporting country in the region (about 50% more than both Mexico and Guatemala and about five times that of Costa Rica) does mean there is a lot of generic volume to be had. Many millers are set up to mechanically dry low-elevation parchment for export very efficiently, and at some of the lowest relative differentials in all of Central America. There are some notable high elevation regions, however, who have achieved reputations for quality on par with places like Huehuetenango in Guatemala, or Tarrazú in Costa Rica. Marcala, in the southwest, is known for excellent sweetness and delicacy; Santa Bárbara, in the north, has become famous for its explosively bright and fruit-forward profiles, as well as its proliferation of bourbon and pacas, both rare cultivars in this country; and Copán, in the northwest, for fuller-bodied chocolatey coffees and dedicated environmentalism. The parainema variety is also a notable contributor to Honduras’ flavor profiles–originally designed as a disease-resistant sarchimor with only average quality expectations, in recent years certain lineages have shocked competition judges with their perfume-like characteristics and distinct pointed bean shape. Enterprising coffee growers are still exploring the potential of the parainema genetics, as it appears to be one of a kind in Central America.