Story
The Intibucá Region
Situated to the west of Comayagua and south of Santa Barbara, the Intibucá department in western Honduras shares its southern border with El Salvador. This region is home to two significant forest reserves: the Opalaca and Vida Silvestre Reserves. Known for being the most mountainous area in Honduras, Intibucá boasts high-altitude farms that enjoy a predominantly cool, temperate climate.
Darwin Flores & Finca El Roble
Darwin Flores started his coffee-growing journey early in life, beginning with a modest 150 plants. “At first, it felt like a game, pretending to be a farm owner,” he recalls. However, through perseverance and dedication, he began to see the tangible results of his labour.
By 2017, new opportunities allowed Darwin to expand his operations, planting an additional 2,700 coffee trees. Today, his farm, Finca El Roble, is home to a total of 3,850 coffee plants. Darwin expresses his pride in having his coffee recognized as a microlot and is grateful to his buyer for selecting his beans. "It's rewarding to see my hard work appreciated," he says.
The Intibucá Coffee Project
Honduran coffee, particularly when sourced from prime regions and carefully processed, has the potential to be exceptional. Intibucá, in particular, offers coffee with greater complexity, depth, and richness compared to other coffees from Central America. However, many local farmers face challenges accessing broader markets that recognize and reward the quality of their beans.
In the Pozo Negro region of Masaguara, the Intibucá coffee project is addressing this challenge. Led by Rony Gámez and supported by Nordic Approach, a dedicated group of coffee producers is working together to build a market for their distinctive coffees. The project’s mission is to elevate the reputation of these local farmers by improving the quality of their coffee and ensuring its traceability. Frequent meetings provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, helping producers refine their cultivation techniques and collaborate more effectively.
The project also emphasises the importance of separating high-quality microlots, something often lacking in Honduras, where smaller farmers usually sell their coffee as part of a broader regional batch. By partnering with a mill that offers packaging and processing services, these farmers ensure that their coffee retains its unique identity.
Rony Gámez plays a crucial role as the project’s marketer, negotiating prices with buyers and relaying these offers to the farmers, who then decide whether to proceed with the sale. This collaborative model empowers the producers, allowing them to control the direction of their business while improving their visibility in the global coffee market.