CAFESMO (Cafés Especiales Mercedes Ocotepeque) was born from several years of informal collaboration among producers in the Mercedes region, Ocotepeque — an area nestled between Cerro Pital, the Guisayote National Reserve, and the Pacayita volcano, at altitudes ranging from 950 to 2,000 meters above sea level. Officially established in 2016, the cooperative exported its first container of microlots to the United Kingdom in 2019 and has been growing steadily ever since.
What makes CAFESMO unique is the deliberate way it defends its identity. The Lenca–Ocotepeque designation is not a generic regional name — it carries a dual identity: the Lenca indigenous people and the department of Ocotepeque. This cultural root is reflected in every lot they produce.
Beyond identity, CAFESMO is truly innovative: in addition to washed, honey, and natural coffees, they have developed carbonic maceration with remarkable results and continue to expand this line. Their regenerative model is just as tangible — over 45,000 trees planted by the end of 2023, a CO₂ offset program with Solidaridad and Acorn, beehives for pollination and honey production, and coffee pulp used as compost.
It was CAFESMO who approached Belco, convinced that we shared the same values and were the type of importer they wanted to work with. They were right. From the very first contact, this cooperative truly interested us: its scale, its rigor with producers, its traceability, and its business philosophy all aligned with what we look for in long-term partnerships. We spent two harvests building the relationship and finding the ideal place for their coffees within the Belco project — and this harvest, we have finally started working together.
CAFESMO embodies the principles that Belco seeks to promote at origin: a real impact through fair prices and local employment, sustainability as a practice rather than marketing, and long-term relationships built on trust and Transparency.
