Small coffee farmers from Honduras bet on environmental certification

As part of the initiative to improve systems of coffee production in the regions close to the National Park Celaque, Honduras, 72 coffee farms received certification from the Rainforest Alliance. The purposes of certification is to get the adoption and implementation of sustainable agriculture in a closed area and seek to improve the practices of grain processing in order to reduce the environmental impact.
The initiative, which began in January 2013, is run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the raw technical ProParque Quality Coffee from Honduras (HQC) Benefit of Santa Rosa, with the supervision and support of Mapance that is the group of co-Celaque handler.
This certification process not only promotes the conservation of the environment, but also makes it easier for farmers to access niche markets with better prices. Coffee is the main economic activity in communities located around Celaque, but at the same time, represents a serious threat to the integrity of biodiversity and ecosystems due to their production practices are unsustainable and processing system having a traditional negative impact on the environment.
Approximately 600 coffee farmers and their families are receiving training, technical assistance and monitoring. Besides the objective of adding value to coffee by certifying farms that adopt sustainable methods of processing, the program encourages the organization of independent coffee producers, strengthening trade ties between groups of producers and exporters of coffee and the legal registration of microenterprises.
Also occur as part of the project, assistance to producers at the negotiating table sales, and provide funding for the implementation of environmentally friendly methods in crops.
The main benefits of certified coffee farms are the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems, sustainable use of water resources and soil, the implementation of good agricultural practices and waste management programs. In addition, employees receive competitive wages, which translate into improvements of homes, greater access to health care and better education for their children. Accordingly, the certified coffee farms near Celaque are contributing to the sustainable management and rational use of natural protected area, thus ensuring that the cultivation of coffee is an economically viable, socially just and friendly environment.
Source: Revista Cafeicultura