When Harvests Become Jobs and the Fields Become an Opportunity

On the mountainsides of the Choluteca department in southern Honduras lie the sugarcane fields that supply the country’s first industrial plant for powdered sugarcane. The plant, developed by the Union of Sugarcane Producers of the South (UPROCASUR), exemplifies the potential of the Honduran agricultural sector and has become an important source of local employment, generating more than 200 permanent jobs and up to 1,000 during the harvest season.

UPROCASUR’s business model began as a dream of its board of directors. “We wanted to go beyond harvesting and start processing the sugar to take on more steps of the value chain,” explains Mauricio Larios, a board member and sugarcane producer, who recalls: “We even traveled to Colombia to optimize resources and import better practices.”

Today, its impact goes far beyond the plant itself: “The project energizes the local economy through the hiring of transportation, harvesting, administrative, cleaning, and technical services,” says Evenilda Morán, president of the organization.

Jobs That Change Lives

In Honduras, nearly 80% of the workforce survives in the informal economy, especially in rural areas. Okra, a crop similar to bell pepper and widely used in tropical cuisine—exported in large volumes by the country—is also helping reduce those gaps through companies like CAVEXSA.

CAVEXSA, which began as an association of small producers, employs now more than 600 people permanently. For producers like Denia Calderón, the impact has been transformative: “Thanks to okra, I was able to pay off many debts and improve my home,” she says. The company now cultivates 200 manzanas of okra with an average yield of 2,625 seven‑kilogram boxes, allowing it to export one container per day to destinations such as the United States, Spain, England, France, Italy, and Portugal—positioning Honduras as a supplier of quality agricultural products.

Coffee, one of the country’s major agricultural and economic drivers, also generates jobs in Choluteca, as demonstrated by the San Marqueña Coffee Cooperative (COCASAM). Ana Julia Ríos, a cooperative worker, says COCASAM has been vital for her and her family: “When my husband passed away, they gave me the opportunity to work and provide for my five children, and today it allows me to pay for the insulin I need for my diabetes.” The cooperative also promotes technical training. “By entering the quality area, I can now differentiate the coffees we export,” explains Eric Pastrana. “I was born on a coffee farm, and thanks to COCASAM I’ve been able to refine my passion through learning and technology.”

Their dedication to workers has translated into increased productivity. Today, COCASAM produces 11 quintales of coffee and exports all its production to markets such as the United States and France as specialty coffee.

Business Models Rising From the Ashes

These stories share a common thread: resilience. CAVEXSA, for example, was born out of a deep crisis. An agro‑exporter had convinced producers to massively shift their crops and then failed to buy the harvest. “We started with loans… and when we were already harvesting, the partners who had promised to buy the product didn’t take it,” Calderón recalls. Juan Ordóñez recalls sadly: “We sent full containers of okra and received only a fraction of what was expected. More than 180 producers were on the verge of bankruptcy.”

That experience marked a turning point. From adversity came the decision to organize and form their own company—today’s CAVEXSA—with control over production, processing, and export. This critical period forced the organization to redesign its structure and build a model that has become a regional benchmark for sustainable production, supported by funds that allowed them to acquire equipment and facilities.

UPROCASUR has also experienced its own mix of fragility and resilience. In 2023, they secured an international buyer willing to place large volumes on the market, but he unexpectedly passed away. The loss paralyzed operations, but instead of being discouraged, the organization persisted and sought assistance.

Growth With Strong Roots

These success stories have been supported by the ComRural II project, implemented by the Government of Honduras with assistance from the World Bank Group. The project, aimed at improving agricultural competitiveness and generating rural employment, has promoted 19 business plans nationwide, benefiting more than 10,000 people.

Beyond financing, ComRural II provides technical assistance, infrastructure, technology, and training, and promotes Private Financial Ally (AFP) schemes that mobilize additional investment to ensure business sustainability and financial sector attractiveness. To date, it has leveraged more than US$14 million in private capital for initiatives such as UPROCASUR, CAVEXSA, and COCASAM.

The project aligns with the goals of AgriConnect, the World Bank Group’s global initiative to support small‑scale agriculture capable of generating employment, economic growth, and food security. Thanks to the business plans supported by ComRural II, more than 3,200 Hondurans have secured a job.

Today, projects like these plant opportunities that grow with every harvest, showing that when the countryside prospers, entire communities move forward.