Cosma, Honduras

Aprocomsa began in 2001 when 61 farmers in Marcala, La Paz, Honduras, decided to change the way they worked. Faced with low prices and dependency on synthetic inputs, they committed to organic farming and sought access to speciality markets. The transition was challenging, but through technical support and collaboration, they developed a regenerative model known as the “5 Ms”: organic matter, microorganisms, minerals, fermented molecules, and knowledge (grey matter). This approach became the foundation for their farming philosophy and education programmes, designed to build resilience and independence among members.

From those early days, COMSA has grown to more than 1,600 members and is now recognised as one of Honduras’ most influential cooperatives.

Natural coffee processing is one of the world’s oldest methods and is favoured by many coffee growers. What sets it apart from other methods is that the entire coffee cherry is dried, with the bean still attached to the rest of the fruit, causing a fermentation process to occur and impart natural sugars and fruit flavours to the bean.