HRNS Invites Honduran Youth to Coffee Camp 2026 to Shape the Future of Coffee

Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS), together with strategic partners, launches Coffee Camp 2026 at IHCAFE in Corquín, Copán, Honduras to inspire the next generation of Honduran coffee leaders. More than 100 young people will participate in a four-day experience focused on leadership, innovation, and opportunities in the coffee sector.

Honduras is currently one of the leading producers and exporters of coffee in Latin America. More than 120,000 families depend directly on coffee farming, an activity that represents one of the country’s economic and social pillars. However, the sector faces a critical challenge: generational renewal.

Currently, only 8% of coffee producers registered with IHCAFE are between 18 and 30 years old. At the same time, studies on young coffee growers reveal significant gaps for new rural generations: only 32% have access to land, less than 12% have access to financing or are linked to cooperatives and associations, and only 31% receive technical assistance. Additionally, 51% of young people express a desire to migrate in search of new opportunities.

Despite these challenges, there is an encouraging sign: 86% of young people believe that coffee farming represents a business opportunity and a path for their future development.

In response to this reality, Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS), together with strategic partners from the coffee and rural development sectors, is promoting the seventh edition of Coffee Camp 2026, which will be held at IHCAFE in Corquín, Copán, Honduras from 18 - 21 May a youth platform designed to inspire, train, and connect new generations around the future of Honduran coffee farming.

Coffee Camp 2026 will bring together more than 100 young people, mainly from Copán, Lempira, and Ocotepeque, who will participate in a four-day intensive experience focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the creation of opportunities within the coffee value chain.

Since its creation, more than 600 young people have participated in different editions of Coffee Camp in Central America, strengthening their skills, expanding their networks, and developing new life perspectives linked to coffee and rural development.

During Coffee Camp 2026, participants will experience an immersive program that combines technical learning, cultural exchange, inspiration, and direct engagement with key actors in the Honduran coffee sector.

During the event, participants will enjoy:

• Conferences and talks with national and international panelists from the coffee sector.
• Learning stations on soils, the coffee&climate toolbox, agroforestry, circular economy, carbon markets, barista skills, and cupping.
• Discovery visits, including Hacienda Montecristo, iconic coffee shops (Estucafé, Café de las Velas, Cocoa & Café, and Café la Taza), and cultural heritage sites in the historic city of Santa Rosa de Copán.
• A youth entrepreneurship fair aimed at promoting innovation and agribusiness.
• Cultural activities and integration spaces such as the Coffee Party, the coffee rally, and a filter brewing methods show.

Coffee Camp 2026 is supported by more than 20 partner organizations whose commitment has been key to making this edition possible and strengthening opportunities for Honduran coffee-growing youth:

• Coffee sector organizations: Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE), NKG-BECAMO, Estucafé, Café de las Velas, Cocoa & Café, and Café la Taza. Cooperatives and associations: APCAFI, APROCCOR, APROCACERCHIL, CAFESCOR, CAFESMO, CAPUCAS, COCAMOL, COPRACNIL, PROEXO, and Río Grande.
• Companies, cooperation and development organizations, and municipalities: Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung, Bayer – BLF, Lavazza Foundation, Solidaridad Latin America, Tri-National Network of Women of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala (HOSAGUA), Tri-National Commission of the Trifinio Plan – Trifinio Biosphere Project, Business Development Center – CDE MIPYME Santa Rosa, Rikolto Honduras, Heifer Honduras, Municipality of San Marcos (Ocotepeque), Municipality of La Unión (Copán), and Sustainable Harvest Honduras.

“Coffee Camp is a commitment to the future of coffee farming; these days mark the beginning of a transformation process for young people that will continue through training in soft skills, vocational education, and even entrepreneurial development. All of this allows us to affirm that when young people believe in their potential, the future of coffee flourishes and coffee landscapes are transformed,” said Pablo Ruiz, Executive Director of HRNS Central America.

With the support of its partners, HRNS continues to plant inspiration and create opportunities for rural youth to become agents of change in the Honduran coffee sector: a more inclusive, resilient, and hopeful future for coffee.