This coffee from Marcala, Honduras, gathers the harvest of several farmers united by a common focus on organic farming. They have been working together since 2001 as part of Café Orgánico Marcala (COMSA).
COMSA's main mission is to help producers transition to organic farming and to more modern and sustainable agricultural practices. However, the organization's work does not end on the farms – it also invests in the education of children in the local community, with 25% of its revenues being allocated specifically for education.
The coffee itself is interesting not only because of its honey processing but also because of its unusual combination of varieties. Alongside the widely grown Red Catuai in Honduras, significantly rarer varieties such as Parainema, Lempira, and Icatu are found here. All three were developed with one important goal – greater disease resistance. Icatu originates from Brazil, while Lempira and Parainema were created in Honduras by the Instituto Hondureño del Café (IHCAFE).
The latter two varieties are closely related to Timor Hybrid – a natural hybrid between different coffee species that spontaneously appeared on the island of Timor in the 1920s. Subsequently, it played an important role in the development of new disease-resistant varieties in Central America, such as coffee leaf rust.
This is becoming increasingly important with climate change. In recent years, even higher-altitude areas in Central America have faced rising temperatures and more unpredictable but intense rainfall – conditions that facilitate the spread of coffee diseases. For farmers, this is another challenge, and the development of more resilient varieties is gradually transforming from a scientific experiment into a way to protect the future of their farms.
