IHCAFE

IHCAFE

Honduras

How long have you been a CQI In-Country-Partner(ICP)?

Since 2014

What does it mean to your company/organization to be an ICP?

For IHCAFE to be CQI's In Country Partner is very important since we become a channel for all Q Graders in Honduras and we are able to perform evaluation for Q Coffees in our laboratory, creating a connection to international market. We are able to provide, jointly with CQI, the required training and evaluation for cuppers in Honduras, which allows them to speak a common language.

Provide a summary of what your company/organization accomplishes and include mission if applicable:

IHCAFE is a nonprofit institute, whose goal is to promote social and economic sustainability for Honduran growers through means of innovative technologies that are ecofriendly. Also to be able to provide our clients with excellent coffees by implementing an efficient promotion program, and viable diversification alternatives as a second income source. Our mission is to execute administrative development and establishment standards for production and commercialization with the objective of maintaining a sustainable coffee industry that is competitive in the international market and allows growth within our coffee families.

What is your relationship with CQI/the Q Program?

We perform evaluations for the Q Coffees Program in our laboratory. We have run over 65 evaluations in our CNCC Laboratory (around 20 per year).

Please list project work or national course offerings you helped coordinate.

Several Q Arabica and Q Processing courses since 2008.

What do you think are the opportunities of CQI's Q Coffees program?

Education and quality improvement.

What do you think are the benefits of being a CQI ICP?

It helps IHCAFE keep updated in quality standards and maintain technical competence of IHCAFE's cuppers and technical assistants for growers.

Anything else you'd like to add?

We'd like to be aware of other joint opportunities for training and sustainability for our growers.

What do you think could be done to improve / increase Q Coffees in the market?

Create an ICP network to help with problem solving, expertise transfer, and communication.

Does your company benefit from hosting Q Evaluations as an ICP? If so, how?

It helps our cuppers keep certified as Q Graders and updated on current quality standards.