The earliest reported plantations in Honduras date back to the early 19th century. Coffee was introduced under then-Spanish rule, but really started gaining ground after Honduras gained independence. In the early 2000's, the coffee industry finally matured and coffee is now considered a primary cash crop along with bananas. Honduras is in the top five coffee producing countries in the world. The country is one of the poorest in Central America and crime as well as mass migration to the US are serious challenges. The hope is that income improvement through more high quality coffee production can be part of the solution.
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