Café Orgánico Marcala S.A.

COMSA processes coffee in Marcala, Honduras, proposing economic, social, and environmental objectives as a strategy to reduce poverty and to promote sustainable development. Starting with 60 producers, COMSA now has 1,573 producers (25% women), each with less than 9 acres of land. Their experimental farm hosts the technical assistance team, offering workshops on sharing the COMSA philosophy. As the members of COMSA experimented on their farms and exchanged ideas with other growers, their organic philosophy grew. They emphasize the 5 Ms: organic Material, Microorganisms, Minerals, living Molecules, and Gray Matter (or brain power) as the foundation for their organic vision. Founded in 2001 with $300 US of social capital, COMSA now influences the wider community to consider organic food production in all foods and cooperative ventures in the larger society.