Honduras
Resilience in Every Bean
Copán Highlands
Origin Story
From the Heart of Honduras
Honduras is Central America's largest coffee producer, yet many of its finest coffees never reach the specialty market. In the Copán Highlands — near the ancient Mayan ruins of the same name — smallholder families produce coffees of surprising sweetness and balance, overcoming challenges from climate change to market volatility with extraordinary resilience.
Coffee arrived in Honduras in the late 1700s but was slow to develop due to poor infrastructure and political instability. The Copán region, with its mountainous terrain and proximity to Guatemala, always had the potential for specialty quality. Today, improved processing infrastructure and direct trade relationships are finally unlocking that potential.
The Land
Terroir & Climate
The Copán Highlands rise to 1,600m along Honduras's western border with Guatemala. The region shares the same volcanic geology as Guatemala's renowned Huehuetenango. Limestone-rich soils, high altitude, and cool Pacific breezes create ideal conditions for slow cherry maturation and complex sugar development.
Elevation
1,300–1,600m
Variety
Lempira, IHCAFE 90, Catuai, Caturra
Harvest
November – March
Processing
Copán coffees are fully washed
Our Partners
Cooperativa Regional de Caficultores de Copán (CORCOPAN)
112
Member Farmers
38
Women Members
2012
Year Founded
CORCOPAN was formed after a devastating coffee leaf rust (roya) outbreak in 2012, when farmers realized they needed collective resources to fight disease and rebuild. The cooperative now operates a centralized wet mill, nursery, and agronomic training center.
Community Impact
Distributed 45,000 disease-resistant coffee seedlings and rebuilt processing infrastructure after roya.
The People
Meet the Farmers
Sandra Maribel García
Nursery & Rehabilitation Director
Sandra led the cooperative's response to the coffee leaf rust crisis, managing a nursery that produced 45,000 disease-resistant seedlings. Her work saved over 80 family farms from abandonment and helped the region recover faster than neighboring areas.
“The rust took our trees. We planted better ones.”
Francisco Morales
Wet Mill Manager
Francisco manages the cooperative's shared wet mill, ensuring consistent water quality, fermentation timing, and drying across all member lots. His protocols have raised the cooperative's average cupping score by 4 points in three years.
“Consistency is what turns a crop into a livelihood.”
From Cherry to Bean
Processing Method
Copán coffees are fully washed: cherries are selectively hand-picked, depulped within 12 hours, fermented for 18–30 hours, washed in concrete channels, and dried on patios or raised beds for 8–12 days. The cooperative's centralized wet mill ensures consistent water quality and fermentation across all member lots.
Annual Production
320 bags (60kg)
Avg Farm Size
2.0 hectares
Shade Grown
72%
Water Conservation
Centralized water recycling at wet mill
Seed to Cup
Journey of the Bean
From cherry to cup — trace the remarkable path of Honduras coffee through harvest, processing, export, and roasting.
Harvest
November – March
During November – March, farmers across Copán Highlands hand-pick only the ripest cherries. Cooperativa Regional de Caficultores de Copán (CORCOPAN) trains members in selective harvesting — often passing through the same trees three times to ensure peak ripeness.
The Honduras harvest is a community effort. Families rise before dawn to pick in the cool morning air, carrying baskets of crimson cherries down mountain paths to collection points.
Key Details
Pickers
112+ farmers
Passes
2–3 selective
Elevation
1,300–1,600m
In the Cup
Tasting Notes
Elevation
1,300–1,600m
Variety
Lempira, IHCAFE 90, Catuai, Caturra
Harvest
November – March
Certifications
Fair Trade
Our Partnership
GMB Impact in Honduras
3
Years Partnered
20–30%
Premium Above Market
175
Families Supported
3
Active Projects
Community Projects
Disease-resistant seedling nursery
Wet mill rebuilding fund
Youth farmer apprenticeship program