How Carmen Elevated Her Coffee Farm
Atop the rolling hills and mountains of Honduras, sprawling farms and lush forests produce a treasure coveted around the world: coffee. Honduras is the largest producer of coffee in Central America, and the sixth largest globally. Long before consumers take a sip, before the beans are roasted, before they’re shipped around the world, hard-working farmers spend long hours nurturing their fields.
One of these farmers is Carmen.
Every day, Carmen rose early to prepare coffee and breakfast for her employees. They came from the same village in Olancho, a close-knit community where everyone knows each other. After a quick meal, they all hurried to the fields in a race against the sun. Together they braved the heat and humidity to harvest, wash, and dry the coffee.
But Carmen wasn’t getting paid a fair price for all her hard work. As a result, her husband made the difficult choice to emigrate to the United States, in hopes of sending income back home. Now, Carmen was left to manage the farm and provide for her son and aging mother.
Putting her Knowledge into Practice
Things changed when Carmen connected with a local partner of Partners Worldwide, Elevar. True to its name (Spanish for “elevate”), Elevar seeks to elevate the coffee plant and the soil it grows in, in turn elevating the farmer, their communities, Honduras, and, ultimately, the name of God.
Through Elevar, Carmen attended a training program where she learned how to improve the quality of her coffee. What she learned wasn’t just theory—Carmen put it into practice, with her fields competing for the best and most coffee harvested among Elevar’s clients. Carmen’s coffee has a score of 85.33—an “Excellent” rating, according to the Specialty Coffee Association.
Reaching a Global Market
Now, Carmen has been connected to a global marketplace, a marketplace that wants her coffee and is willing to pay her a fair price for it. All her hard work is paying off, literally, with her income rising according to the quality of her product.
Today, Carmen’s quality of life has improved. Through partnership, she has been able to invest back into her farm, improve the conditions of her home, and employ more workers, who in turn provide for their own families.
March 7, 2024