Farm/Farmer: Café Orgánico Marcala S.A. Cooperative

Altitude: 1600 MASL

Region: Montecillos

Country: Honduras

Ethics: Certified Climate Wave

After setting up our roasting studio, we were presented with a consulting opportunity to help expand Green Cuisine Victoria's operations by adding a roastery cafe operation. However, we faced a challenge: we lacked a climate-positive decaf coffee that met our high standards for specialty coffee. That's when we came across Café Orgánico Marcala S.A. Cooperative (COMSA) of Honduras, thanks to David of Birds and Beans. We were impressed by David's thorough answers to our questions about the climate-friendliness of his coffees. Following a detailed conversation, we discovered another Certified Climate Wave Coffee to add to our selection. This decaf coffee from COMSA is cultivated in a forest environment with diverse layers of vegetation, supporting rich biodiversity. Their organic farming practices prevent water pollution and ensure fair trade, guaranteeing equitable prices for all cooperative producers.

Coffee species: Arabica

Varietal / Sub-species: Blend of multiple varietals

Process: Mountain Water Decaf

Lot type: Whole lot

Size: Blend

Quality: Specialty

Our specialty-grade coffees adhere to the rigorous quality standards established by the SCA. They are free of defects such as Quakers, which can impart papery and peanut-like flavors, disrupting the coffee's natural profile. Additionally, we meticulously screen for other defects like berry borers, undeveloped beans, and fungal infections through multiple-stage quality assessments, ensuring that only the finest beans with their original characteristics intact are selected.

Landed cost of green beans: $15.86 CAD / KG

Green beans import partner: Birds and Beans

Roasting studio location: Victoria

Roasting facility description: Single-use plastic free

Roasting fuel: Induction, 100% renewable energy

Roast Degree: Light

We go beyond fair-trading. We add meaning to Support Local movement. We take pride in our role in the coffee industry, which has historically championed the fair trade movement and is now embracing pricing transparency. We are among the few coffee professionals worldwide who openly share the landed cost of our green beans. We believe that this transparency in pricing will empower the hardest workers in the global coffee value chain—farmers and farm workers—by granting them financial independence and helping them overcome poverty. Additionally, it encourages fair pricing, ensuring consumers are not excluded from the "fair trade" equation. Keeping profit-margin a secret strengthens capitalism and perpetuates unequal distribution of wealth. Conversely, transparency in pricing not only fosters fair trade between farmers and roasters but also benefits coffee consumers. We see this commitment to transparency as a crucial step toward achieving justice and equality for all involved.

We are proud to be pioneers in single-use plastic-free coffee roasting operations. We receive most of our green coffee beans in reusable bags. 100% of them are stored in reusable containers such as bags and boxes. Plastic labels are not used to identify the coffee beans in our bins. Roasted beans are also stored in reusable containers. We undertake these practices to lead by example. The success of our business model serves as an open case study, available for global entrepreneurs seeking inspiration to adopt sustainable practices.

Delivery and Pickup Options:

1. Zero-emission, free delivery within the Greater Victoria region. Or,
2. pick it up at our artisan roasting studio inside Green Cuisine Cafe at 560 Johnson Street, Victoria, BC, in Market Square. Or,
3. flat-rate carbon-neutral Canada-wide delivery available.

Packaging Options:

1. Your own container: If you are picking up, bring a few empty reusable containers. For free local delivery, leave a few resuable containers outside your door or be available to receive at the delivery location. This option is not available for Canada-wide delivery. 
2. Compostable recycled paper bag: The paper bag is breathable and will not protect coffee from moisture or water. We highly recommend transferring to an airtight container as soon as possible. Compost the paper bag afterwards. 
3. Glass jar without labels: This is a good option if you don't have an airtight container at your place and if you are planning to reuse this jar.
4. Glass jar with paper labels for gifting: This is a good option if you are gifting this coffee to your loved ones. We use 100% plastic-free and tree-free gift packaging. Monica is a professional craftsperson. She loves gift packing :) 

In the morning's hush, coffee whispers more than just caffeine's touch. It's a mindful journey, a symphony of flavors unique to each cup.

Our guide? Simply put: "Try it all." Be daring, be free.

From French press hugs to Turkish tales, from gentle drips to espresso's fire, each method holds a key to joy.

In every sip, our farmers' toil sings—a tribute to their craft, their love in every bean. As you, the barista, take each cup in hand, it becomes a sacred trust—to honor the journey from soil to cup, in each pour, in each brew, in every moment shared. So pause, slow down, drink without judgment, and let the warmth of each sip spread love both far and wide, resonating deeply within you, the barista.

And amidst it all, let's celebrate the forests, guardians of our precious beans, capturing greenhouse gases, nurturing the very essence of our beloved brew.

PS: Contribute your tasting notes via our Sustainable Coffee Passport.