Café Orgánico Marcala (COMSA) was founded in 2001 with a vision of creating new and alternative development opportunities for small-scale coffee farmers in the region of Marcala, Honduras. At that time, the predominant production system in the region relied on conventional (chemical) practices and sales to the local coyotes, often at prices below production costs. COMSA’s founding vision to promote new ways of thinking – both in production, moving from conventional to organic production; and in markets, moving from commercial to specialty buyers – has positioned the organization as an absolute leader in highly productive organic agroforestry.

Honduras is a relatively young coffee origin, averaging larger landholdings managed by farmers willing to innovate for increased sustainability. However, low coffee market prices contribute to migration by failing to recognize the long-term value of this form of land management. To ensure ongoing growth of the sector, COMSA will continue to focus on encouraging increased productivity, soil regeneration, and more, so that the broader sector recognizes and values such innovative efforts. They are investing environmental service premiums from this pilot in coffee tree renovation using high-quality, resilient varietals, and increasing shade tree density with a focus on food security benefits.