History & Origins
COMSA (Café Orgánico Marcala, S.A.) was founded in 2000 when 62 Honduran coffee farmers joined together with a common goal to transform their farms from conventional to organic production and to directly export their coffee.
In 2001, fostered by a foundation called FUNDER, COMSA earned their organic certification from Bio Latina which has enabled them to market their coffee to more international buyers and realize better selling prices for their coffee.
In February 2006, COMSA then applied for and was granted Fair Trade certification status.
The cooperative has grown to well over 1,000 member farmers, with current numbers at 1,573 producers (25% women), focusing on economic, social, and environmental goals to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.
The cooperative began as a collective of 69 small-scale Lenca farmers seeking alternatives to the low-paying, chemical-intensive coffee production system prevalent in the region, with transitioning to organic farming posing significant challenges, including initial yield drops and member attrition.
Many of its members belong to the Lenca indigenous peoples, bringing traditional sustainable farming practices to the fore, and COMSA is now internationally recognized as innovators in organic practices—from carbon sequestration, and coffee drying innovations, to the recycling of wastewater.
COMSA uses the Fair Trade price premium to fund many social projects including paying teachers’ salaries and purchasing school supplies, and the premium also finances the construction of kitchens in schools in support of the Merienda Escolar program that provides meals for school children.
In 2016, the cooperative launched the Diplomado Orgánico, a transformative training program that links farming practices to ecosystem and community health.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
COMSA’s coffee is produced in Marcala, La Paz, a zone recognized for its cool climate, fertile soils and the dedication of producing families.
The region of Marcala is home to Honduras’ first Origin Denomination: Café de Marcala.
The farms are situated at elevations averaging 1,295 to 1,699 meters above sea level.
Marcala is a renowned coffee-growing area known for its rich soil and ideal climate, with unique terroir featuring consistent temperatures, plentiful rainfall, and fertile volcanic soil that contributes to the complex flavors found in each cup.
Most coffee farms in the region are located at elevations ranging from 1,200 to over 1,800 meters above sea level, with these highland zones, paired with fertile volcanic soil and steady tropical moisture, forming the perfect recipe for producing shade-grown Central American coffee.
The coffee at COMSA’s showcase farm La Fortaleza and surrounding farms is grown at high altitude, between 1,245m and 1,670m, which is high even for mountainous Central America.
The cooperative operates with an average range of 1,300-1,500 meters above sea level.
COMSA has an incredible experimental farm called La Fortaleza where the technical assistance team hosts workshops focusing on sharing the COMSA philosophy.
The cooperative emphasizes the “5 Ms”: organic Material, Microorganisms, Minerals, living Molecules, and Gray Matter (or brain power) as the foundation for their organic vision.
The slow maturation process that occurs at high altitude allows coffee cherries to ripen gradually, taking in more nutrients and sugars, which ultimately results in richer, more complex flavor profiles.
Processing & Production
COMSA cultivates post-coffee leaf rust crisis varieties including Icatu, Parainema, Lempira, and IHCAFE 90, alongside traditional varieties like Catuai, Pacas, and Caturra that were grown before the coffee leaf rust crisis.
The main varietals include Bourbon, Typica, Catuai, and Caturra.
The cooperative employs washed, natural, and honey processing methods, with sun-dried processing on shaded raised beds.
Harvest season runs from November through April (with some sources indicating December-April), with drying processes including both sun and mechanical methods.
The cooperative maintains an average land under production per farmer of 3.7 hectares (approximately 8.8 acres).
COMSA members follow strict, sustainable agricultural practices complying with organic and Rainforest Alliance standards, and the cooperative provides monthly training at Finca La Fortaleza, giving members access to a chromatography machine to analyze soil and create recipes for organic fertilizers.
COMSA has significantly increased the participation of women within the organization, which has resulted in a successful women’s group that has established their own farmers’ market to sell home-grown organic produce.
The cooperative produces specialty lots such as coffee grown by the women’s group Manos de Mujer on a number of small organic farms.
Farmers participate in COMSA’s training program to learn valuable agroforestry techniques, with the cooperative promoting agroforestry among coffee farmers through trainings on planting trees alongside coffee crops and providing over 20 varieties of trees to farmers to improve shade growing practices.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
COMSA coffee is characterized by bright citric acidity with orange and mandarine notes that bring freshness and vibrancy.
It has a medium and velvety body, complemented by natural honey-like sweetness with nuances of chocolate and ripe fruits.
The finish is clean and prolonged, with a delicate floral touch that enhances its balance.
The cup profile features a citrus start with hints of cherry balanced by an almond-flavored, dark chocolate body with a sweet caramel finish.
It is bright, syrupy sweet, and energetic, with the fragrance of brewed coffee reminiscent of almonds and warm caramel with lemon lingering in the finish.
This coffee is much more lively than what is thought of as a typical Honduran coffee, as Honduran coffee usually has a more laid back character than this offering.
Light roast profiles show notes of caramel, milk chocolate and orange with a clean cup and smooth finish.
The coffee displays medium body with chocolate and nutty characteristics and a crisp lingering finish, with aroma notes of nuttiness, oats, and floral elements, cupping bright with cocoa sweetness and jasmine floral notes.
Natural processed lots exhibit smooth characteristics with caramel and stone fruit flavors, featuring a syrupy mouthfeel with bright berry acidity and floral aftertaste.