Deputy Foreign Minister of Honduras Gerardo Torres said that it is an honor for his country to host the event, which will also be attended by the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, and the Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO), Vanusia Nogueira.
“It is an honor for us to host this large-scale event and for Honduras to also be one of the main coffee producers worldwide, in addition to having the privilege of receiving prominent leaders and experts in the coffee industry,” said Torres, who added that this is the first event organized by CELAC around a specific product.
According to an article published on the Foreign Ministry’s website, the best coffee beans in the world will be exhibited and tasted during the summit, and opportunities will be provided to establish commercial alliances to explore the development of the coffee sector in the region.
The Deputy Minister of Coffee Growing of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Murillo, highlighted in a press conference on the occasion of the event that Honduras is among the Latin American nations that export more than 60 percent of the coffee consumed in the world.
Official figures indicate that coffee represents more than five percent of Honduras’ gross domestic product (GDP), and the territory is currently positioned as the fifth-largest producer worldwide.
In Latin America, 14 million people are linked to the coffee growing sector, which reports income of more than 1.3 billion dollars and contributes significantly to the economic growth of the region.
The first CELAC Coffee Summit has as its motto “Agriculture and Family Economy for Regional Development” and will be held within the framework of Honduras’ pro temporary presidency of CELAC.
jrr/llp/oda/ybv
