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Because of the way the coffee industry is structured, with rich consuming nations buying from often poor producing countries, most farmers export their best coffee in order to earn the most money. Many specialty farmers have never even tasted their own coffees.
The same often happens at Cup of Excellence, a coffee competition held in over a dozen coffee-producing countries to find the country’s best coffees. The winning lots at a country’s Cup of Excellence green coffee competition are usually scooped up by deep-pocketed roasters. For example, an American roaster bought the 2024 Ethiopia CoE-winning coffee during the auction held after the competition for a record-breaking $445 per pound.
However, this year’s CoE competition in Honduras was different, reflecting the recent push to increase domestic consumption in producing countries. At the auction for the winning coffees, the top two lots were purchased by a Honduran company, Spirit Animal Coffee, which plans to roast and serve them to a local audience. It is the first time in CoE’s history that a company based in the hosting country has won auctions for both first and second-place lots.
“This is a powerful moment for Honduras,” said CoE managing director Gary Urrutia. “For the first time, people in Honduras will be able to experience the absolute best of their own coffee.”
Urrutia noted that a country’s winning coffees are usually exported. “Keeping them here is a turning point for how coffee-producing countries reclaim pride, ownership, and recognition in the global market.”
Read more about the award-winning Honduran coffees from Global Coffee Report here.
