Coffee Is in Crisis: "The Laborers Are Few"

The Hidden Story Behind Every Cup

Across Honduras, coffee farms—especially those in remote, mountainous regions—are increasingly struggling to find labor. Workers are leaving the fields not because they’ve lost interest in coffee, but because they simply can’t afford to stay.

Living Conditions: A Harsh Reality

Most coffee farm workers in Honduras live in extreme poverty:

• Substandard Housing: Many live in makeshift shacks with no proper roof, floor, or sanitation. Families sleep on dirt floors, often with up to 6–8 people in a single-room dwelling.

• Limited Access to Water and Electricity: Running water is rare, and electricity is inconsistent or nonexistent in many coffee-growing regions.

• Health and Safety Risks: Poor ventilation, smoke from cooking fires, and exposure to rain contribute to respiratory and infectious diseases.

• Wages: Barely Enough to Survive: The average daily wage for a coffee picker is about $6–$8 USD, depending on the region and farm. During off-season months, there's often no income at all.

• Many workers cannot afford basic necessities, including food, healthcare, and education for their children.

Why Workers Are Leaving

• Poverty-Induced Migration: Desperation is leading many to migrate north in search of work, risking everything for a chance at a better life.

• Generational Shift: Younger workers are rejecting farm work altogether, seeing no future in it.

• Climate and Crop Challenges: Coffee plants are increasingly vulnerable to disease and erratic weather, further shrinking incomes and making the work even less sustainable.

Why Coffee Shops Should Care

Your business depends on the hands of these invisible workers. Without them, there is no harvest, no beans, no brew. But beyond business, there’s a human responsibility. 

A Call to Action: Sponsor Homes for Coffee Worker Families

By partnering with Generous Ventures Projects, coffee shops can:

• Sponsor the construction of safe, durable homes for coffee worker families.

• Build long-term relationships with the farms and people behind their coffee supply.

• Offer customers a powerful story of impact that goes beyond "fair trade"—to fair living.

Together, We Can Help Workers Stay on the Farms

When coffee shop owners and roasters invest in housing and human dignity, they don’t just preserve the supply chain—they honor the hands behind every cup.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."
Let’s make sure that changes.