Honduras, in Southern-Central America is a beautiful country, swathed in dense forests and mountainous peaks. It is a nation of coffee growers with 15 out of the 18 regions producing coffee. The high altitudes and warm climate are perfect for growing coffee and Honduras is renowned for the quality of their coffees produced.
Caffeine Limited Directors, Justin and Karen, took a trip across the Pond to visit the country responsible for the Honduran coffee we use in our blends. During the trip, the pair visited a number of coffee producers to better understand the coffee growing process and to meet the people responsible for the quality product that we value so highly.
COFFEE PLANET CORPORATION – SECURING FOR THE FUTURE
Coffee Planet Corporation (CPC) are one of the largest co-operative coffee companies in Honduras whose aims are to develop coffee growing in the region in a way that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.
On the land that CPC grows coffee, they also grow lemongrass and peaches plus they produce honeybees around their crops and fish in the reservoirs. By diversifying their production, CPC is able to protect its producers against shocks in the coffee market through the ability to market and sell other produce that grows well among the coffee plants. Not only does this add to the diversity of the produce, it also improves the environmental diversity of the area allowing the production of the coffee to carry less of an environmental impact.
CPC also helps to invest in its producers. By pooling resources, CPC is able to invest in the technology and infrastructure to process the coffee in order to achieve the best results for the producers and by keeping the process within the organisation they are able to cut down on costs and invest the proceeds back into the business.
“It is really impressive what Coffee Planet Corporation are doing to operate in such a sustainable way, and how they continue to invest in their producers to develop their sustainable practices as a whole with the aim of securing the business and the livelihoods for the future” – Karen Stockwell, Caffeine Limited Director.
HONDU CAFÉ – FAMILY VALUES, GIANTS OF COFFEE
Hondu Café is a family run company and one of the largest private coffee exporters in the world! The company is built on the principles of facilitating a coffee growing environment whereby small and medium sized growers can grow their coffee under the best conditions.
To achieve this aim, Hondu Café uses its vast coffee processing facilities to bring small coffee farmers to the global market. The company then re-invests in developing its producers through a foundation that offers training and education aimed at developing the quality of the coffee grown and therefore demanding a higher price on the global market. The support that the company offers to its producers is not just aimed at improving yields, it is also focused on promoting sustainable growing practices so that the region remains a prime coffee growing location for the years to come.
The trip was a fantastic insight into a brilliant coffee producing country and a great opportunity to meet the dedicated producers who provide the coffee that goes into our coffee blends. Their hard work in Honduras means that we get to fuel our lives on great coffee in the UK but it is all too easy to forget the incredible journey that coffee makes from farm to cup!
To find out more about the journey of coffee, read another of our blog series here!
