About This Coffee
Aprocasol (previously Solcafe), the Small Coffee Producers Association of Western Honduras, was established in 2019 by 37 small coffee producers with a strong focus on improving the quality of life for coffee-producing families. Solcafe serves 11 communities in Lempira and Intibucá with farms situated at altitudes ranging from 1,300 meters to 1,800 meters above sea level.
Cultivation
Each member is a smallholder producer with an average farm size of 4 hectares. Together, they contribute to an average production of 6,700 kg of exported coffee annually. By cultivating their coffee with care and expertise, members produce coffee that stands out for its exceptional quality. Farmers are also Rainforest Alliance certified, ensuring that cultivation practices align with strict environmentally sound principals.
Member farms are located in the Opalaca mountain range, a captivating region characterized by mountains such as Cerro Azul Mountain, Joconal Mountain, Cangual Mountain, Granadillo Mountain and Pacaya Mountain. With an untouched area spanning 50 km² and a total area of 145 km², this mountain range holds significant biodiversity. It serves as a sanctuary for both migratory and endangered species, including the golden-cheeked warbler, mountain turkey, catracha frog, puma, quetzal and howler monkey.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farms. They pulp and ferment cherry before washing parchment in clean water. They lay parchment to dry on patios or in greenhouses. 90% of the coffee produced by Solcafe is dried using solar methods on patios and in greenhouses. Farmers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying.
Coffee in Honduras
Honduras is a small yet mighty coffee producer. The country boasts the largest per capita coffee production in the world. Beginning in 2017, Honduras began placing in third place for Arabica production volume globally. For this slot, they compete with Ethiopia—a country 10 times larger than Honduras. The two countries trade between third and fourth place annually, but the achievement is impressive, nonetheless.
Honduras has everything it needs to become a premier specialty coffee producer. The country has the right growing conditions, abundant fertile soils and soaring altitudes (nearly all farms are at more than 1,000 meters above sea level), plus a variety of microclimates.
Beginning in the early 2000s the industry began to focus on quality. Improved infrastructure (better mechanical dryers, centralized wet mills, an increasing number of solar dryers), quality control/assurance trainings (separating lots by qualities, cupping schools, etc.), the rise of specialty-focused exporters, increased volumes of certified coffees and the strengthening cooperative movement all have worked in tandem to make Honduran coffee ‘one to watch’.
It is only in more recent years that coffee production in Honduras has reached specialty levels comparable to other Central American countries, but specialty roasters are responding with enthusiasm. In 2017, a lot in the Cup of Excellence garnered the highest price ever paid for a Cup of Excellence coffee in any country: $124.50 per pound (approximately $56.50 per kg).
Above all, while Honduras increasingly offers high end microlots, what the country arguably represents overall is exceptional value. Quality has improved massively over the last 15 years, and in addition to unique specialty lots, the country offers very solid, clean blenders at very attractive prices.