(20 April, 2017) "Copan Coffee Fest" was held on April 2 – 9 sponsored and organised by the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation with the Instituto Hondureño Del Cafe (Ihcafe) in Santa Rosa Copan (Honduras). Now in its eighth edition, the Copan Coffee Fest is an event promoted by Ihcafe in collaboration with local authorities and international face to the recovery of coffee in Central America. The Festival is held under the CaféyCaffé project. The project was launched with the intention of improving the living conditions of small coffee producers in Central America. The effective strategy for production chains involving different actors in the "chain" such as producer groups as direct beneficiaries of the project’s actions, local coffee technical institutions, partners in the implementation and monitoring of activities and roasters as business consultants and potential clients / buyers. The San Salvador Italian Agency for Development Cooperation communicated that the event, Marcella Veneziani the Head of Communications; Cesare Colombo and the director of the foreign office of San Salvador, Marco Falcone. The American Academy Centre Coffee in Honduras was presented and formalised during the event. It will be a key element of the new phase (the third) of the CafèyCaffè programme. The Academy - funded by the Italian Cooperation in collaboration with the IHCAFE and Lavazza Foundation - will be a regional point of reference for the improvement and enhancement of domestic consumption of quality coffee in countries of origin and the spread of espresso culture through strengthening regional schools of coffee and the formation of specialised professionals and a "Barismo" (coffee master) certificate. (Red)

Central American Coffee Academy

The American Academy of Coffee Centre (ALAC) is a cultural association composed of important reference points for American and Italian coffee producers, a sort of platform for dialogue consisting of specialists and professionals, institutions and companies working in the field of coffee in Central America and Italy. Among other objectives of the Academy of Coffee: cooperation with the authorities, training centres, professional associations, businesses promote possible partnerships; promoting coffee as a product of the territory, by improving the local market (fairs and events); organise professional courses (Barismo and roaster) in Italy and in Central America; recognise and formalise the profession of Coffee master as a ‘specialist’, bartender and roaster; creating a permanent regional laboratory consisting of companies in the industry and the relative specialists; promoting and organising trade fairs, demonstrations and meetings related to the sector in Central European countries and the world who appreciate the work and the brand image of coffee image as an expression of science, culture and tradition; and to build and maintain a historical and traditional memory of coffee at the regional level.