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After two years of not having presence in the show due to the pandemic, Honduras has returned to Seoul with a delegation representing the coffee sector, and the welcome by importers and roasters has been enthusiastic. Importers have expressed their interest in learning more about the Honduras origin, from specialty and high-end coffees to other types of coffees that may meet the varied tastes of Korean consumers.
Given the Covid-19 prevention measures, country delegations were reduced to a minimum. Honduras’ productive and export sector is represented by Coffee Planet Corporation, which along with the Honduras Institute of Coffee (IHCAFE), the Honduras chapter for the International Women in Coffee Alliance (AMUCAFE), and representatives of Swisscontact’s Inclusive Coffee project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, have the privilege and responsibility of representing the sector in this market.
More inclusion for agricultural producers
“The Inclusive Coffee Project Café Inclusivo facilitates articulation and collaboration, as in the case of Honduras’ presence at the Cafe Show, so that the whole sector can approach commercial opportunities in the prioritized markets for Honduras, strategically and effectively. The strategic partners of the project are CONACAFE, IHCAFE, AHPROCAFE, UNIOCOOP, La Central, AMUCAFE, and the Chambers of Commerce from Cortés and Tegucigalpa.
The main goal is to position Honduras as an origin for quality coffee, produced and processed with traceability and sustainable practices, making this the starting point for the creation of long-term business relationships, based on shared values. The goal is achieving more resilient livelihoods for Honduran coffee producers, the main actors in the global value chain of coffee,” said Liliana Sánchez, Project Lead.
32 cooperatives, producer associations and export companies are part of the project. Through the event catalogue and through the contacts made by the delegation in Korea, these companies will be able to start exchanging information, sending samples and offers for the next harvest. The representatives of the Honduras chapter of the IWCA – AMUCAFE, will have a work meeting with the Korea Chapter (in formation) of IWCA to identify areas of cooperation.
During the trade show, importers' responded with interest, saying “We are very interested in learning more about Honduras”, “I tried Honduran coffee and I loved it”, “I like the Parainema varietal ”. They also shared their opinion on the opportunity for Honduras in Korea at this time in view of the volatility of the market and how it is affecting origins such as Colombia and Brazil. Some importers pointed out how an improvement in logistics management could also be positive to the growth of Honduras in this market.
Janny Torres, Commercial Manager of Coffee Planet, highlighted the interest shown by their current and potential clients in Honduran coffee. “We are going through a unique moment in the market. We are in Korea at the right time to continue strengthening the position of Honduras here. Many producers’ partners, marketers and exporters have worked for years in this market. The fruits of these efforts are beginning to show. Importers seek us out and come to the booth, wanting to know more about our coffee, especially interested in our Parainema variety. We will continue to focus on positioning our coffee here.“
With this joint participation of Honduras in the Cafe Show, the message expressed by Adilson Avila, General Manager of IHCAFE during the presentation of the Inclusive Coffee project, becomes even more relevant:
“We are all important and complementary in coffee – producers, cooperatives, exporters, coffee guilds, associations and institutions. We have an important challenge ahead, but through an initiative as Café Inclusivo we can all co-create this vision and route to better position Honduras in international markets, thus creating the opportunity to generate better returns for coffee producers.”
The Inclusive Coffee project is part of the Development Programme of Swisscontact and is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
For more information, please contact Project Lead Liliana Sanchez at [email protected]