When CQI began work in Honduras, it was a commodity producer and was even selling coffee below the C market. In 2006, during the CADR program, CQI played a vital role in the improvement of the Honduras coffee sector. After considerable effort, meetings with exporters, cupping training, and marketing assistance, several exporters got involved in selecting specialty lots and used cupping as a tool.
Honduras has an ideal climate, beautiful mountains, and often has very remote regions, making perish-ability a factor. CQI and other international organizations have worked in Honduras to improve quality at all levels. Honduras has now become one of the more consistent suppliers of specialty coffees. Today over 30% of their coffee is specialty and the average price is well above the C market.
For the Q program, from 2009-2010, CQI received a grant from the Dutch group SNV to increase the number of Q graders and through this also flushed out a Q instructor, Rolando Canas, who is active globally on behalf of CQI both as a Q instructor and producer-level trainer. Honduras's In Country Partner use to be solely the Exporters Association, but now shares this responsibility with the national IHCAFE organization, who has a high end training facility. Rolando has allowed Honduras to stay current with the Q program, but Honduras still could benefit for additional technical assistance. Like many Central American countries, coffee rust has been a serious problem over the last few years.
