CAFICO

What CAFICO does

CAFICO (legal name Cafés Finos de Corquín) is a producer-owned specialty coffee cooperative founded in 2009 and headquartered at the Parque Industrial Joalaca in Corquín, Copán, Honduras. The organization aggregates and commercializes coffee from small producers in the Copán region, cultivating 14 varieties including Parainema, Icatú, IHCAFE 90, Caturra, Pacas, Lempira, Catuaí, Obata, Paraíso, Catigua, Anacafé 14, Geisha, and Pacamara. It markets itself as producing "the cleanest coffee in the world" — glyphosate-free coffee validated by an honorary mention from the German market following a 44,000-pound shipment from Finca La Lesquinada via Molinos de Honduras and the Volcafe trading group in 2018.

CAFICO operates an integrated vertical value chain that includes an ecological wet processing facility (saving 80% water versus conventional methods), mechanical drying using coffee parchment as fuel, solar drying on cement patios, a milling plant with full traceability, an in-house quality control laboratory staffed by Q Graders, and an organic fertilizer plant that converts coffee pulp and honey water into solid and liquid fertilizer. The company holds Carbon Neutral, Fair Trade, and other international certifications enabling access to EU and other premium markets.

The business model is B2B export-driven, with primary revenue from green coffee exports to international specialty buyers (notably Germany), complemented by milling/processing services for producer partners and organic fertilizer sales. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by participation in international trade events such as the Specialty Coffee EXPO Chicago (2024), and a broad partner ecosystem including IHCAFE, USAID/FARMS, Texas A&M, World Coffee Research, Solidaridad, CLAC, and AHPROCAFE. Pricing is transaction-based and not publicly disclosed.

Name

CAFICO

Legal name

Cafés Finos de Corquín

Website

https://cafico.hn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Production and Export

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee & Cacao Plantations (Coffee, Cocoa) (AFAGACAI), Coffee Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAC)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee production
• Certified coffee export
• Organic coffee processing
• Coffee milling services
• Carbon neutral coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Corquín, Copán

HQ country

Honduras

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coffee Export: Primary revenue stream from exporting high-quality specialty and certified coffee beans to international markets. Coffee is sold through commercial partners including Molinos de Honduras and Volcafe for distribution to the German market and other international buyers.
2. Milling/Processing Services: State-of-the-art milling line enables efficient coffee transformation with quality and traceability guarantees for producer partners.
3. Organic Fertilizer Sales: Production and sale of solid and liquid organic fertilizers derived from coffee pulp and honey water, helping producers meet nutritional demands of their productive units.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAFICO produces, processes, and exports high-quality specialty, certified, organic, and carbon-neutral coffee from Corquín, Copán, Honduras. The company operates eco-friendly wet processing facilities, mechanical and solar drying systems, and a milling plant, while also offering coffee processing and organic fertilizer production services to member producers. CAFICO combines premium coffee production with sustainable processing, traceability, and international market access for small and medium coffee growers in western Honduras.

Product overview

CAFICO (Cafés Finos Corquín) is a coffee producer and exporter established in 2009, operating as a unified offering of high-quality specialty coffee products and processing services. The core portfolio centers on specialty and certified coffees (including organic and carbon-neutral varieties) cultivated across 14 coffee varieties. CAFICO's integrated value chain encompasses processing services including Ecological Wet Processing (80% water savings), Mechanical Drying, Solar Drying, and a state-of-the-art Milling Plant—all supported by an in-house Quality Control Laboratory ensuring traceability from farm to international consumers. The company also produces Organic Fertilizer from coffee byproducts. As a member of Agronegocios Sostenibles, CAFICO connects small producers with differentiated markets while maintaining sustainability commitments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Coffee

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% water savings in wet processing compared to conventional benefits
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• INCOGA (Instituto Copán Galel)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New 2024 partnership signed with Instituto Copán Galel for supporting student education in BTP Innovation and Agroforestry Development and BTP Agricultural Livestock programs.
• Molinos de Honduras / VolcafecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial partnership for exporting and distributing CAFICO coffee to international markets, particularly Germany. Volcafe is part of a major coffee trading group that handles the international distribution of CAFICO's specialty coffee products.
• IHCAFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstituto Hondureño del Café - Honduras Coffee Institute partnership for coffee production development, technical assistance, and industry collaboration.
• USAID/FARMScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with USAID through the FARMS project for sustainable agribusiness development. CAFICO participates in Sustainable Agribusiness Alliance meetings and business rounds through this partnership.
• CAMOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical and health alliance for conducting medical brigades and health programs within CAFICO's area of influence to improve community health.
• AHPROCAFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Honduran Coffee Producers partnership for constructing approximately 300 eco-stoves (eco-fogones) to reduce firewood consumption in producer homes and combat deforestation.
• ICF/MapanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental forestry partnership for reforestation projects, secondary forest regeneration, and establishment of agroforestry farms in the region.
• Universidad Texas A&M Proyecto COREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Texas A&M University through the CORE project for research, innovation, and development in the coffee sector.
• World Coffee ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research organization partnership for coffee research, development of new varieties, and innovation in coffee production methods.
• Universidad ZamoranominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Zamorano University for agricultural education, research collaboration, and student development in the coffee sector.
• SolidaridadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational civil society organization partnership for sustainable development and responsible supply chain development in the coffee sector.
• COMRURALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural development program partnership supporting rural producers and sustainable agricultural development in coffee-producing communities.
• CLACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatin American and Caribbean Network of Fair Trade Small Producers partnership for fair trade market access and certification support.
• ONGsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-governmental organizations partnership for social development projects, community support, and sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Finca El Puente: Honduran specialty coffee farm and exporter known for micro-lots and Cup of Excellence performance. Comparable Honduran specialty origin competing for the same European direct-trade buyers and quality premiums.
• Cooperative Coffees: Cooperative of small-farmer coffee cooperatives importing green coffee for member roasters, with strict quality and sustainability criteria. Directly comparable cooperative-to-roaster model focused on traceable specialty coffee.
• Pachamama Coffee Cooperative: US-based cooperative owned by small coffee farmers from multiple Latin American origins, selling directly to roasters and consumers with full traceability. Comparable farmer-owned specialty coffee model with emphasis on certifications and direct market access.
• Asobagri (Asociación Barillense de Agricultores): Guatemalan small-farmer specialty coffee cooperative producing washed arabica with sustainability certifications for international specialty buyers. Comparable cooperative structure, varietal specialization, and reliance on EU/US specialty channels mirror CAFICO's commercial model.
• COMSA (Café Orgánico Marcala): Honduran small-farmer organic specialty coffee cooperative exporting to European and US specialty markets. Closest direct peer: comparable producer-owned model, organic/Fair Trade certifications, specialty arabica focus, and Honduran origin compete with CAFICO for the same EU premium buyer pool.

Broad incumbents

• Café Imports: US-based green coffee importer focused on specialty and traceable origins. Comparable commercial channel for specialty producers targeting North American roasters; relevant as a potential alternate buyer relative to the current Volcafe channel.
• Volcafe (ED&F Man): Global green coffee merchant that is CAFICO's primary commercial partner for German exports. A broader incumbent that sources from many origins; its portfolio reach and trading scale set the benchmark for origin partnerships in this market.
• Sustainable Harvest: Specialty coffee importer operating Relationship Coffee model with transparent pricing and producer-direct relationships. Comparable buyer model emphasizing traceability and producer premiums that aligns with CAFICO's value proposition.
• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe: Large German-headquartered green coffee trader with global origin operations. Comparable buyer/competitor for European specialty supply chains and benchmark for traceability and sustainability program expectations.

Others

• Rainforest Alliance: Global sustainability certification body (merged with UTZ) governing coffee, cocoa, and other tropical commodities. Relevant ecosystem participant: CAFICO's certifications stack derives market access through these standards; comparable certification frameworks shape buyer requirements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caficohonduras
• Instagraminstagram.com/caficohonduras
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caficohn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAFICO