Miraflores

Farmlevel Story

This coffee comes from small farmers around Santa Barbara Mountain near Yojoa Lake, the only lake in Honduras. The farms provide a special microclimate for the coffee plants and allowing consistent cup profiles each year. The highest part of the region is where the most famous Honduran specialty coffees and Cup of Excellence winners are cultivated. 

Coffee began being cultivated in the region's lowlands in the 1940s as a secondary economic sector. It wasn’t until the 70s that coffee became the primary economic sector, promoted by the high prices of the era. In 2011, the area was majorly impacted by rust disease that destroyed nearly all the farms. Producers began to renovate their farms and introduced rust-resistant varieties, while some kept the rust-prone varieties to learn to live with the disease. During this time, the potential of specialty coffee was discovered through Cup of Excellence competitions. Producers started to focus on improving their processes and exporting micro-lots through the San Vicente mill. Since then, coffee has been the basis of the economy and an important cultural element for these communities.