Will you enjoy your cup of coffee for the benefit of someone other than yourself?

Travel over the last 20 years to Honduras has changed a group of us...a loose group of dentists, physicians, nurses, hygienists, businessmen, teachers, pastors, students...who went to provide Hope. Hope by providing medical and dental care, building schools, churches, clinics and houses, leading vacation Bible schools and sports camps, teaching public health seminars and, yes, sometimes just playing games. We went "to give" and far more was given in return. We learned firsthand that happiness is a choice and experienced richly by some of the least fortunate on earth. We were grieved by unimaginable suffering. We developed deep lifelong friendships forged by working together for a common purpose. Our arrogance as the "problem solvers" was broken and reduced to sweet partnerships dedicated to listening and thinking "out of the box" about sustainable social and economic solutions. We have been uniquely blessed to see God work despite us!

A dream has been to provide practical solutions to the economic injustice that are truly cross-cultural partnerships, everyone working together with a valuable role to play. We believe economic resources, which are the result of work within a community, have the greatest potential for positive social and economic improvement. Café Por Favor was birthed with this in mind...an idea which has taken nearly 18 years to gestate! Coffee grown in the high country of Central Honduras near Siguatepeque on small farms provides income for farmers and small local landowners who are giving their lives as physicians, dentists, teachers and board members in organizations committed to being agents of change in their community. Income to augment inadequate clinic, hospital, school, church or organization stipends is the key to keeping these professionals where they are needed most...in rural Honduras.

Selling coffee at international commodity prices through local cooperatives and exporters means that the farmers and landowners may not make a profit. Average production costs continue to rise, and saturation in the marketplace has introduced volatility in world pricing. While coffee prices have risen in the past 4 years, the relationship between Cafe Por Favor and the local farmers in Siguatepeque insures a profitable crop each year.

What are our goals?

1. Purchase green coffee beans at a price to ensure the farmers and landowners a predictable and equitable return for their hard work by removing dependence on International prices.
2. Provide Funds for the Hospital Evangelico Beneficence Fund which is used at the discretion of hospital physicians and dentists to enable them to extend medical and dental care to those with great clinical needs who would otherwise be sent away.
3. To create profits which can be carefully directed to support organization and ministry stakeholders who have sacrificially dedicated their lives to the physical and spiritual welfare of their people. Assisting with support designed to provide resources for the education of their children in the form of scholarships, funding of retirements and appropriate insurance products.
4. Provide a product and service infrastructure useful in raising funds by other organizations for their use.
5. Raise the standard of living of the farmers working on these small farms by assisting with housing and improved coffee processing infrastructure.
6. Reinvest resources in optimal maintenance of the local farms, replanting and expanding as the market dictates.

Lofty? Perhaps. Will you help us? Please?

We have distilled the essence of our vision in the following description of our name and logo.

You are approached by a server with a hand carried caraffe and asked, "Coffee?" to which you respond, "Please!" This is a multi-billion dollar question! The problem is less than 1% of the revenue generated from a retail cup of coffee benefits the farmer or country of origin.

Can you help us direct a larger portion of the coffee revenue back to Honduras? Please? We are simply asking you to combine your polite acceptance of a cup of coffee with the name of the brand you prefer to drink - Por Favor. Por Favor loosely translates, please, and is used accordingly in Spanish. The beauty of the Spanish language supports the more poetic meaning of "do me the favor"...of pouring me a cup of coffee. How about doing a favor as you enjoy your coffee for the benefit of those who have labored to produce the beans? Please? Por Favor?

Café Por Favor purchases the green beans for 30 cents more per pound than the production cost of the small farmers, some of whom also work with Hospital Evangelico de Siguatepeque and Scripture Union. This guarantees an appropriate profit and is the difference between economic catastrophe and survival. International prices remain below the cost of production for a third year in a row.

Fund-raisers are the principle sales and marketing strategy making it possible for the typical sales and marketing resources of branded coffee to be used for the benefit of your organization or project or returned to the ongoing work in Honduras. Some of the current fund-raising benefactors can be found on our "partners" link in the main navigation.

Drying coffee beans

Siguatepeque Region

Coffee Price 1994-2003