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Barismo breaks barriers

Empowerment and Sustainability in the Trifinio

By IW:LEARN

March 19^th, 2025

In the mountains of the Trifinio region, where El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras meet, coffee is a beverage and a tool for transformation. This ‘green gold,’ which has been the livelihood of thousands of families for generations, is now becoming a bridge to empowerment, gender equality, and environmental sustainability. Thanks to the closed coffee cycle pilot project with the cooperative organization Cooperativa Cafetalera Reservas Biológicas Santa Teresa Ocotepeque—COCREBISTOL in Honduras- supported by the GEF-Trifinio project- a group of young people are finding in barismo an opportunity to change their lives and those of their communities.

A Story of Transformation

Kimberly Deras, daughter of coffee farmers, grew up in an environment where opportunities for women are scarce. In a region with limited access to technical education, her options were reduced to informal jobs or helping with household chores.

‘I’ve always been keen to learn something that would give me stability, but there were no schools for that here,’ Kimberly recalls.

However, in 2024, her life turned around when she entered the COCREBISTOL Coffee Technical School, an innovative program that offers free training in barismo, cupping, and sustainable water management in the closed coffee cycle.

‘Before, I didn't know how to manage water in coffee processing. Now, with what I have learned, I can optimize its use and reduce the environmental impact,’ says Kimberly.

Kimberly Deras: Barista and Coffee Farmer. Credit: GEF/Trifinio project.

Thanks to the support of the GEF-Trifinio project, executed by the GS/OAS, the training activities at the COCREBISTOL Coffee School are now being strengthened, and the cooperative now has its own barista equipment. This initiative provides technical knowledge and professional tools that help break gender gaps and economically empower participants -mostly young women- allowing them to develop practical skills and access new job and personal opportunities. This support reinforces their comprehensive training and contributes to a more sustainable and equitable future for the community and the region.

Barismo as a Tool for Empowerment

Barismo, more than a technique, has become a way of life for Kimberly. Through CoCREBISTOL's Coffee Technical School, she learned to master the techniques of coffee preparation, from the cup to the production process.

‘I grew up around the aroma of coffee, and I wanted to understand it better, from the cup to the process—I wanted to support my father and explore my passion,’ she says.

Today, Kimberly works at Café Montaña Verde, a business dedicated to selling coffee produced in the region, applying what she has learned and demonstrating that access to education and technology can transform lives.

‘This project has given me stability and pride. I am now part of a change that benefits my community and the environment,’ she says with a smile.

Activities carried out as part of the barista school at COCREBISTOL. Credit: GEF/Trifinio project.

An inspiring role model

Kimberly's story is not isolated. The COCREBISTOL Coffee Technical School has trained dozens of young people, combining theory with practice, thanks to the support of strategic allies such as the GEF/Trifinio project.

‘Coffee is more than a beverage: it is identity, effort, and future. When we invest in education, we harvest passionate professionals like Kimberly,’ says Gladisel Fuentes, an instructor at the school.

Closed-cycle coffee pilot projects are implemented in the three countries of the region: El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. These initiatives seek to optimize the use of resources, especially water, and promote sustainable practices in coffee production. Through the reuse and efficient treatment of water, the environmental impact is reduced, and the quality of coffee is improved, directly benefiting the producer communities. In addition, these projects promote cross-border cooperation, strengthening the integrated management of shared natural resources in the Lempa River basin. This approach ensures not only environmental sustainability but also the economic and social development of coffee-growing families in the Trifinio region.

A Sustainable Future

The closed-loop coffee project with COCREBISTOL is an inspiring and replicable example of how innovation and education can come together to create a more sustainable future. By protecting water and promoting responsible practices, this project is not only transforming coffee farming but also improving the quality of life of communities.

‘Water is life, and coffee is our identity,’ reflects Kimberly. ‘Thanks to this project, we are ensuring that both flow in harmony for future generations’.

About the project

The project “Fostering Water Security in the Trifinio Region: Formulating a TDA/SAP for the Transboundary Lempa River Basin” is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is executed by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) in coordination with the Trinational Commission of the Trifinio Plan (CTPT) across El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

The project spans 48 months and aims to foster water security in the upper Lempa River basin while increasing the resilience of its ecosystems to climate variability and change.

Key Project Objectives

The project ‘Strengthening Water Security in the Trifinio Region’ (GEF-Trifinio), executed by the GS/OAS, has the following key objectives:

1. Strengthen environmental governance frameworks and transboundary cooperation for the shared natural resources of the Lempa River Basin.

2. Identify sustainable financing mechanisms to address priority environmental problems in the basin.

3. Engage communities and the private sector through demonstration projects that enhance their capacity to apply ecosystem-based management approaches, supporting human health and livelihoods.

4. Raise awareness of the benefits of integrated water resources management approaches for human communities and the environment.

Together, these activities aim to initiate transformative changes that will guide the Lempa River basin toward greater water security and the development of climate-resilient ecosystems.

For more information on the project ‘Fostering Water Security in the Trifinio Region,’ please contact:

- Andrés Sánchez (asanchez@oas.org), Manager Americas Water Program of the General Secretariat of the Organisation of American States.

- Misael León (maleon@oas.org), Regional Coordinator of the GEF-Trifinio Project.

- Emmanuel Fontalvo (efontalvo@oas.org), Knowledge Management and Communications Specialist, GEF-Trifinio Project.

Footnotes

Words by Emmanuel Fontalvo Patiño, with the support of Jairo Zavala Reyes (CoCrebistol). Cover photo - Kimberly Deras: Barista and Coffee Farmer. Credit: GEF/Trifinio project.

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FootNotes

Words by Emmanuel Fontalvo Patiño, with the support of Jairo Zavala Reyes (CoCrebistol). Cover photo - Kimberly Deras: Barista and Coffee Farmer. Credit: GEF/Trifinio project.