The agroforestry agreement provides an enabling framework that will reach more producers within the Honduran coffee sector.
The Specialty Coffee Expo is one of the world’s largest coffee trade shows. This year it was the site of an important milestone as IHCAFE (the Honduran Coffee Institute), Solidaridad, and Rabobank signed an agreement to provide up to 3,000 coffee producers with access to voluntary carbon markets through the Acorn platform. This unique platform operates as an incentive system for farmers to implement agroforestry systems, which allows them to generate Carbon Removal Units (CRU) and earn payments for ecosystem services.
Last year we ratified the national gender policy, groundbreaking at a global level, and this year we are promoting agroforestry systems as a tool to fight the effects of climate change and to bring producers to carbon markets through incentives.
Sofía Nuñez, Country Manager, Solidaridad Honduras. Learn more about the gender policy here.
The Acorn platform is a fair and stable global marketplace developed by Rabobank that offers lower transaction costs and pays farmers higher carbon prices. This is achieved through digital technology that detects the growth of each new tree planted and measures the amount of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere. Given the technological breakthrough, farmers receive a fairer price, 80% of the carbon value.
“The sale of carbon will help to motivate producers at the same time that the forest is being taken care of,” said Pedro Mendoza, president of IHCAFE. “This is great news for everyone.”
Teaming up to make agroforestry systems a reality
The agreement is part of Solidaridad’s regional strategy that began with pilot projects in Nicaragua, Peru and Colombia, and is now being enthusiastically received by the Honduran coffee sector. The effort will support interested producers, cooperatives and exporters throughout the implementation phases.
“At Solidaridad we’re aware that this is a new topic, and that there are many people and cooperatives that want to learn more,” said Sofía Núñez, Country Manager, Solidaridad Honduras. We invite’ them to contact us so we can go forward together as a country.”
Elevating Honduran coffee to new heights
The Specialty Coffee Expo is a globally important trade show dedicated to the promotion and culture of quality coffee. This year it was held in Portland, Oregon. The Honduran delegation in attendance comprised more than 60 people. The delegation was made up of producers, representatives of IHCAFE, cooperation agencies and trade organizations.
We believe that Honduran participation in the main coffee shows allows us to share with the world the hard work of our producers, the commitment, the passion and all their dedication to the production of high quality coffee.
– Adilson Ávila, General Manager of IHCAFE
At the Honduran stand on the showfloor, speakers and panels gave presentations on strategic issues, including traceability, youth and women inclusion, production in harmony with nature, carbon neutral goals, and social compliance.
Honduras shared coffees from the country’s six coffee growing regions and introduced representatives of coffee producing organizations, who had the opportunity to interact with the leaders of the international coffee buying and roasting companies.