Building a Climate-Smart Coffee Region in Western Honduras

The coffee companies Julius Meinl, The J.M. Smucker Co. and Tchibo together with the independent foundation Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS) are pleased to announce a joint project in which they will work together with smallholder coffee farmers in Western Honduras to build a Climate-Smart Coffee Region (CSCR Honduras). The project remains open for additional partners interested in contributing to this collaborative effort. This four-year project (2025-2029) in the departments of Ocotepeque, Copán, and Lempira will strengthen smallholder livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and build local institutional capacity. The project will directly support 4,000 smallholder families, impact 6,000 hectares of coffee farming land, and engage 20 farmer organizations. The project will be implemented by HRNS Honduras.

Transforming coffee landscapes into climate-smart systems

Building on 15 years of field experience through the initiative for coffee&climate(c&c), in which the three coffee companies are members, the project will use c&c knowledge and scale proven climate adaptation tools, including soil and water conservation, coffee agroforestry, erosion control, microclimate monitoring, and household innovations like fuel-efficient stoves and water-saving devices. The aim is to transform vulnerable coffee landscapes, with a focus on communities located in the buffer zones of Celaque, Erapuca, Las Minas, and Volcán Pacayita protected areas, into biodiversity-friendly, climate-smart systems that secure livelihoods and restore ecosystems. Financial literacy, women’s leadership, and youth entrepreneurship will also be key project pillars. Monitoring and evaluation, based on recognized frameworks such as Enveritas, will ensure transparency, impact measurement, and adaptive learning.

“Western Honduras is ecologically rich but also increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Irregular rainfall, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures have reduced yields by up to 30% and forced coffee cultivation to expand into ecologically sensitive highland zones”, says Theresa Ruperti, HRNS Program Manager for the CSCR Honduras Project. “By linking coffee productivity, community resilience, and ecosystem conservation, the CSCR Honduras project supports farmers’ livelihoods and positions Western Honduras as a model for climate-smart and biodiversity-positive coffee farming in Central America.”

“As a leading coffee manufacturer, we are committed to supporting the smallholder farmers who deliver green coffee while helping ensure the long-term viability of the coffee supply chain,” says Rebecca Ott, Sustainability Director at The J.M. Smucker Co. “Our partnership with HRNS has supported multiple projects over the years, and we are excited for this opportunity to enhance farmer access to good agricultural practices in Honduras.”

“This project marks an exciting milestone for Julius Meinl as the first landscape initiative under our Generations Programme. What makes it truly distinctive is the spirit of collaboration behind it. We’re partnering with a diverse group of stakeholders, including fellow coffee roasters, to address shared challenges through a pre-competitive, landscape-level approach. We look forward to learning, innovating, and finding impactful ways to create a future where coffee, communities, and nature all thrive,” says Carina Needham, Global Sustainability Director at Julius Meinl 1862 GmbH.

"I am pleased that in this project, together with Julius Meinl, The J.M. Smucker Company, and HRNS, we will be supporting 4,000 farming families. Climate change is tangible for farmers in Honduras and supporting them to become more resilient is not only necessary but a good opportunity to improve their lives. The diverse activities and the inclusion of women and youth will make this project a success. Enveritas will independently verify the successful implementation, supporting impactful implementation, learning and adaptation," says Aida Brito,Senior Sustainability Manager Coffee at Tchibo GmbH.

Supporting territorial governance

The unique strength of the CSCR Honduras project lies in its governance model coordinated through inter-municipal platforms (Higuito and MAPANCE), which will align municipalities, civil society, and local actors around shared climate goals. In addition, the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) will play a central technical role in farmer training, research, and monitoring. The project will also establish a regional Community of Practice (CoP) to coordinate learning and innovation among 25 local actors, with technical support from IHCAFE.

Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS)
Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS) is an independent foundation working with smallholder families in coffee regions and youth in Germany. HRNS is implementing projects in seven countries worldwide focusing on the livelihood situation of smallholder families with a holistic approach in the areas of youth, climate change, family business, organizational development and gender. Since its foundation in 2005, HRNS reached more than 330.000 smallholder families in 18 countries. In Germany, HRNS is supporting more than 20 organizations focusing on the integration of migrated youth. Find out more: https://www.hrnstiftung.org/

initiative for coffee&climate
The initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) supports smallholder coffee farming families and their communities to adapt to climate change and increase their resilience. c&c develops and disseminates tools on climate-smart farming practices. Established in 2010, c&c is a pre-competitive initiative supported by global coffee companies, public donor organizations, smallholder communities, and research organizations. Since its founding, c&c has been working in seven regions worldwide. More than 139,000 coffee farming households have been trained in climate-smart techniques to date. Learn more at: www.coffeeandclimate.org

Julius Meinl
Founded in 1862, Julius Meinl is one of the oldest coffee roasters in the world and an iconic Vienna coffee house brand. Dedication to quality has been a family trademark for five generations. With more than 160 years of experience in sourcing, blending and roasting, Julius Meinl coffees and teas are sold in over 50,000 hotels, coffee houses and restaurants in 70 countries, as well as a growing number of retail outlets. As a fifth-generation family business, it is up to us to create a positive impact along our entire value chain. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to sustainability, centered around three key pillars: Origin, Plant and People. Find out more at https://www.juliusmeinl.com/

The J.M. Smucker Co.
At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America. We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks, and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day, including Folgers®, Dunkin'®, Café Bustelo®, Jif®, Uncrustables®, Smucker's®, Hostess®, Milk-Bone®, and Meow Mix®. Through our unwavering commitment to producing quality products, operating responsibly and ethically and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. The J.M. Smucker Co. is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Dunkin'®, which is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin'® brand is licensed to The J.M. Smucker Co. for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce and drug stores, and in certain away from home channels. This information does not pertain to products for sale in Dunkin'® restaurants. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com.

Tchibo
Tchibo stands for a unique business model. The company uses its multi-channel distribution system to offer coffee and the Cafissimo and Qbo single-serve system, along with weekly changing non food ranges. In eight countries, Tchibo operates about 900 Tchibo shops and national online shops. The company is also represented in around 16,000 Depots at third-party retail outlets throughout Germany, of which around 8,000 also sell consumer goods. Founded in Hamburg in 1949, the family-owned company generated sales of 3.36 billion euros in 2024 with 10,452 employees worldwide. Tchibo is the roasted coffee market leader in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary and one of the leading e-commerce companies in Europe. Its sustainable business policies have earned Tchibo multiple national and international awards. https://www.tchibo.com