David Hernández

Down To Earth Coffee

Small yet mighty

Honduras is known globally as a small yet mighty coffee producer, boasting the largest per capita coffee production in the world. Coffee first arrived in Honduras aboard trading ships in the 18th century, and thanks to Honduras’ fertile soils and soaring altitudes, by the late 20th century largescale coffee production became a cornerstone of the economy.

This growth was not without its hurdles. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest on record, had a catastrophic impact on the entire population of Honduras, its infrastructure, and agriculture, with nearly 70% of crops decimated. Yet Honduran coffee growers proved resilient, and today Honduras ranks in the top five of largest coffee producers globally despite the country’s relatively small size.

From bean to mug

The Hernández family began as traditional coffee farmers, focusing primarily on crop production, but now through an integrated approach they oversee twenty hectares of plantations in addition to the processing, roasting and packaging of their own brand of coffee, Café Mythoz. From tree to bean to coffee mug, their brews are enjoyed across the globe from Italian cafes to American coffee houses.

According to David Hernández, it’s important that he maintains oversight across the entire process: “It’s ultimately about putting technology in the hands of farmers. This enables us to take ownership of the process, from production, to the use of ourown milling system, and closing the cycle by making our sales without intermedaries.”

Quality over quantity

David and his team bet on the quality of their coffee instead of solely focusing on volume. “Because we are family-owned, the work that we do is truly personal. It’s important that we hold quality above quantity, so that our customers all over the globe can trust that they’ll have the absolute best in their coffee cup”.Part of this trust and quality comes down to the technical support and transparency of Café Mythoz’s partners and the products they use. For nearly fifteen years Café Mythoz has deployed UPL products, including the water dispersible copper-based fungicide Cuprofix and multi-site fungicide Vondozeb, to ensure growth and efficiency.

Maintaining Harmony

Located next to El Merendón National Park, David and Café Mythoz are on a mission to operate in harmony with the environment and work to promote soil conservation and forest protection. UPL is proud to work with farmers committed to being responsible neighbours wherever they are.