PRF brings together 2,600 coffee professionals for the biggest-ever event in Honduras
For over a decade, Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF) has hosted events at origin that facilitate long-term connections between international producers, roasters, exporters, importers, and baristas.
On 27 & 28 March 2025, the tenth edition of PRF was held at the Copantl Hotel & Convention Centre in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, marking its biggest and most impactful event to date.
In addition to the PRF Voices programme, which featured lectures from leading industry figures, the milestone event hosted panels, workshops, and cuppings. It also included the fourth Global Roasting Contest, the sixth Cold Brew Coffee Championship, the second Cacao Masters Cup, the first Global Cupping Championship, the third Global Coffee Awards, the second PRF Seed scholarship initiative, and an all-new Producer-Roaster Matchmaking programme.
Read on to find out more about what happened at the two-day forum.
Learn more about PRF here.
PRF hosts its biggest event yet
Over the last ten years, PRF has become one of the most prominent and influential events in the coffee sector. Each two-day forum brings leading industry professionals and experts from around the world together in a major coffee-producing country.
At these events, thousands of producers, roasters, exporters, importers, and baristas have the opportunity to network, share ideas, build long-term relationships, and discuss some of the industry’s most pressing topics.
“The success of PRF Honduras was ten years in the making,” says Henry Wilson, the founder of PRF. “Year after year, the event has continued to grow, so we had to build on this momentum and invest in our biggest and most exciting edition yet.”
More than 2,638 people attended the forum, including 1,244 producers, offering roasters an opportunity to connect with and learn from farmers firsthand. More than 194 exporters and importers and over 245 green coffee buyers and roasters from the US, Australia, the UK, Greece, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala, China, Lithuania, Canada, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, France, Nicaragua, Slovenia, and Italy were in attendance, making it one of the coffee industry’s most global events. These roasters included Joel Castellanos of Café Zun Zun in Texas, US; Konstantinos Vallianos of Kafe Terra in Greece; Darius Vezelis of Vero Coffee House in Lithuania; and Karthikeyan Rajendran of Three Coffee in the UAE.
The event included 176 volunteers from 15 different countries, organised in partnership with Copan Trade, and also hosted 444 Mayorga Becado scholarship recipients – Mayorga Coffee’s scholarship programme, which sponsors around 500 smallholder farmers to attend the forum.
Why Honduras?
PRF Honduras generated US $1.8 million for the local economy, supporting one of Latin America’s leading coffee origins. This has never been more important; according to the latest USDA figures, Honduras will produce 5.5 million 60kg bags in 2023/24, representing a 24% decrease from the previous year.
Incidences of coffee leaf rust, an ongoing labour shortage, and falling domestic market prices have posed challenges for producers – 95% of which are smallholders who often struggle with market access.
“In my opinion, roasters who don’t personally know their producers and claim to care about their livelihoods don’t truly care about the long-term health of the supply chain and the people impacted by it,” says Martin Mayorga, the founder and CEO of Mayorga Coffee and the Diamond Sponsor of PRF Honduras. “PRF serves as an essential event for roasters to communicate directly with coffee producers.”
By facilitating connections between local and international producers and roasters, PRF helps generate long-term, mutually beneficial working relationships.
With the C price still near record highs after reaching US $4.41/lb in early February 2025, it’s never been more pressing for roasters to source from cost-effective origins. Sourcing from Honduras, known for its diverse cup profiles, high-quality micro lots, and focus on organic practices, allows roasters to manage their margins while still offering exceptional coffee.
Competitions at PRF Honduras
PRF Honduras hosted four innovative competitions: the fourth Global Roasting Contest, the sixth Cold Brew Coffee Championship, the second Cacao Masters Cup, and the first Global Cupping Championship. The competitions included creative new branding, which featured distinct mascots for each event that represented the diversity of Honduran wildlife.
The fourth Global Roasting Contest was sponsored by Giesen Coffee Roasters, Cropster, and Volcafe. Over the two days, 16 participants took part in the competition, where they blended and roasted coffees, with the winners chosen through expert judging and a people’s choice vote. The technical winner was Julian Trejos of Cafeina Coffee in Colombia, while Chantal Demonty Cercos of Ombú Bcn Café de Especialidad in Spain was announced the People’s Choice winner.
The sixth Cold Brew Coffee Championship, sponsored by Toddy, was held at the event. A total of nine competitors prepared two exceptional cold brew-based beverages using a coffee of their choice. These included a designer drink, aiming to showcase innovation in the cold coffee market. Julian Trejos was also the Cold Brew Coffee Championship winner.
The second Cacao Masters Cup also took place. Sponsored by Zucoleto, the unique competition invited ten baristas and cacao enthusiasts to prepare two distinct hot beverages using different Honduran chocolate varieties with varying cocoa and coffee percentages, showcasing the deep connection between the two. In the end, Luisa Santos of Coffeina Café in Colombia placed third, Emeric Seguin of Fantome Café in Canada came second, and Julian Trejos was announced the winner – his third competition win at PRF Honduras.
PRF Honduras also hosted the first Global Cupping Championship, sponsored by PDG Media. A total of 16 competitors put their sensory skills to the test in a high-stakes cupping challenge, evaluating aroma, flavour, acidity, body, and balance with precision. The winner was independent competitor Wendy Marcos from El Salvador, who showcased her ability to distinguish coffees with accuracy and expertise.
Which awards & initiatives took place?
The third edition of the Global Coffee Awards was held at PRF Honduras. This is an innovative, producer-led industry award that recognises creatives and leaders from across the international coffee industry. The aim is to centre the Global Coffee Awards in Latin America so that they can be more inclusive and accessible.
Expert judges evaluated entries over a number of categories and selected a winner for each:
After its successful debut at PRF Guatemala, PRF Seed returned in 2025. This scheme recognises entrepreneurs in the coffee industry and empowers them by funding valuable community-focused initiatives. This edition of the programme invited back previous Seed recipients to showcase and celebrate their achievements over the past year.
The PRF Seed recipients in Honduras were:
- Iliana Castillo of Honduras: US $4,300
- Scarlette Zeron of Honduras: US $3,200
- Luisa López of Colombia: US $1,500
- Andres Olarte of Colombia: US $1,000
- Klever Torres of Ecuador: formed a strategic partnership with PRF
Dedicating the time and finding the space to network at trade shows can be challenging, which is why PRF launched the all-new Producer-Roaster Matchmaking programme in Honduras.
The event activity is designed specifically to connect producers and roasters. Participants had the opportunity to network at the dedicated Matchmaking Zone: a space designated for meaningful conversations and new relationships between roasters and producers, right at the heart of the exhibition.
What else happened at the event?
Like other PRF events, the tenth edition in Honduras featured a tailored PRF Voices programme that included some of the industry’s foremost figures and experts. This year, lectures and panels focused on a number of topics, such as:
- From Farm to Cup: Leveraging Social Media to Build Producer-Roaster Relationships (Elton Guillen – Emense Coffee, Nicaragua)
- Navigating the US Coffee Market: Insights for Producers and Roasters (Andrew Delgado – Dynamic Coffee Roasters, US)
- Coffee Fundamentals and Price Risk Management: Navigating Market Volatility (Tomás Araujo – StoneX, US)
- Fluctuating Pricing and Shifting Sourcing Strategies: An Importer’s Perspective (Abraham Castro – Ally Coffee, US)
- Progressive Composting Techniques for Coffee Producers (William Amaya – Finca Terrerito, Honduras)
The event also included panels and cuppings. Sponsored by BWT water+more, the cuppings featured some of Latin America’s best producers and traders. These included PRF Producer Partner CRS, Optimum Coffee in El Salvador, Cima Café, Comical in Honduras, Ally Coffee, Almendros Coffee Co. in Honduras, Conatradec in Nicaragua, Cafés Finos de Honduras in Honduras, Chantuc in El Salvador, Finca La Estrella in Panama, Five04 in Honduras, and Alfacomer Caramba Café in El Salvador, underscoring the diversity of coffees on offer.
This year, workshops at PRF Honduras were led by Zamorano University (Pan-American Agricultural School), one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in coffee production and marketing. All workshop attendees received a certificate issued by Zamorano to recognise their participation officially.
Finally, there was also an Espresso, a Brew, and a Cold Brew Bar for attendees to try exceptional coffees from Honduras and beyond.
Why PRF matters
To acknowledge and celebrate ten years of PRF, the milestone two-day forum in Honduras highlighted how the event has served as an integral platform for roasters and producers to connect for almost a decade.
“PRF has proved to be the most valuable tool in our toolbox for identifying producers and farmers from origin to include in our Farm-Direct programme,” says Bob Fish, the co-CEO and founder of PRF Gold Sponsor One Bigg Island in Space (OBIIS).
“This year, we were able to showcase our Farm-Direct partner Al Lopez and Finca Terrerito. They shined like a beacon for treating people and the planet right and lifting communities in Honduras,” he adds.
“We are proud PRF Gold and Sourcing Trip Experience Sponsors,” says Mark Zhou, the founder of MTPak Coffee. “It was an honour to bring everyone together to explore Honduras’ vibrant coffee scene, connect with international roasters and producers, and dive into meaningful conversations with industry professionals.”
The Sourcing Trip Experience is created specifically for roasters and green buyers who want to gain direct and immersive insight into coffee production. Guests stay with local hosts on coffee farms throughout Honduras, where they have the opportunity to observe farming practices, take part in cuppings and roundtable discussions, and travel to local mills.
“PRF Honduras was a pivotal event for the global coffee industry. It provided a unique platform for producers, roasters, and industry leaders to connect, exchange knowledge, and explore new opportunities for collaboration,” says Ricardo Pereira, the Chief Business Development Officer at PRF Bronze Sponsor Purity Coffee.
“Events like these are essential in strengthening the coffee supply chain, fostering innovation, and ensuring a more sustainable and prosperous future for everyone involved – from farm to cup,” he adds.
Nidia Manzanares is the Corporate Marketing and Communications Manager at PRF Silver Sponsor Banpaís. “At Banpaís, we offer the financial tools necessary for daily operations and business growth in the Honduran coffee sector so they can focus on what they do best: producing the best coffee in the world,” she says.
PRF Honduras signifies over a decade of pioneering coffee events at origin, bringing producers and roasters together to forge meaningful and lasting working relationships.
“Honduras was our biggest edition so far, adding even more value to attendees’ experiences,” Henry says. “Following our last ten years of industry-leading events, we will continue to build on this success and set PRF up for even more accomplishments in the future.”
The location and dates of the next PRF two-day forum will be announced in the coming weeks.
You can stay up to date with all announcements for PRF here, or by subscribing to the newsletter here.
Photo credits: Producer & Roaster Forum
Perfect Daily Grind
Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!
