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These past couple of days have been significant for me in many ways. First, it was a continuation of firsts for me in Honduras. Second, it was a couple of days of allowing the fine folks at Beneficio San Vicente to host both Mel and I, where I learned not to protest too much as they refused to let us pay for food and other things; not to mention a three hour car ride back to Tegucigalpa to the airport (thank you Arturo and Benjamin!).
The last couple of days have been filled with meeting farmers. This ignites in me both passion and frustration, as for the most part, I am incapable of communicating with them, except through a translator (I so need to learn how to speak Spanish). The farmers of Santa Bárbara are hard working and dedicated people. They live simply: many are still without electricity or running water. The area of Honduras where these people live is very remote, up steep and often impassible roads. The land upon which they grow coffee is lush and green but at the same time is extreme in terms of agriculture. My legs will be sore for days, I am sure, from walking up and down among the coffee plants.
One of the things which continues to amaze me is how excited they are to have us visit. They are so welcoming of complete strangers, and more than that, are grateful for the chance to show their coffee to us. They are happy that we visited. In the past I have asked why it is important that I visit the countries where coffee grows? Why is it an important factor in the business I so much want to grow and nurture. Simply put, as I have learned again this week, my presence on the farm indicates to the producer that I am keenly interested in what they do. You see, so very few people care. Both internationally, and even domestically, coffee producers are a forgotten part of the economy. And while coffee is the number one export of Honduras, the producer is rarely given any priority, other than that of one more cog in the wheel of production. This is evidenced by the lack of resources available to the producers, the lack of roads, and infrastructure. I understand how rugged and remote some areas of Honduras are, but if the local and national government truly cared about the coffee producer (as much as they say they do), the infrastructure to grow both quality and the export market should be more forthcoming.
Yet, despite the lack of resources, power, water, equipment, these producers work hard. They set their faces like flint against the obstacles and work very HARD. I can’t stress enough how hard the work of the coffee producer is. They pick and prune and clean and carry the coffee on their backs. They work on their neighbors farms as well as their own. There is a sense of community and depth to the relationships in these communities which transcends an average Canadian’s ability to comprehend.
The producers we met these past days are proud, and strong. They are gracious and generous. Miguel Morena and his family invited us into their home yesterday to have lunch. We (there were five of us) were seated at the table, and they gathered around to watch. They did not eat, but we did, and eat well. A traditional dish of rice, chicken, and potatoes. They were so excited to have us into their home. We found out later that they have had other visitors to the coffee, but no one as of yet had taken them up on the invitation to eat; this we found out thrilled them. On one hand it seems so simple, so insignificant, and then on the other, to open up one's home and to share a meal is the opposite of insignificant.
This is why I love coffee, why I am compelled to get on an airplane and travel to countries of origin. It is because in doing so, I am privileged to be a part of a global community that includes gringos from Edmonton. It is the privilege to slowly begin to understand other cultures, other people, and learn their stories, and then return home to tell their stories. It is the thrill of shortening the distance between supplier and consumer, and it is the large responsibility of educating those at home about the people and the face behind each cup. It is not just roasted coffee, it is the continuing extravagant efforts of people all over the world, and this time in Honduras, which need to be acknowledged and celebrated.
You may think that I am being sentimental, or dramatic, and you may be partly right, but the truth is that I cannot do my job any longer, without being a vocal champion, an advocate of all of the hard work I have encountered. So next time you reach for a cup of Transcend Coffee, or for that matter, any other coffee, remember if but for a moment that there is a person, a family, and much hard work, and sacrifice inside your cup.
Salud!
