What is the Mesoamerican Development Institute?

Our mission is the design and implementation of sustainable technologies and biodiversity-friendly production methods in collaboration with small producers for rural productive applications.

Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI) is a nongovernmental organization with offices in Massachusetts and Honduras. MDI specializes in technology transfer and market development; we introduce renewable energy innovations for agro-productive industry to restore environments and improve income for practitioners in rural Mesoamerica.

MDI is a Co-Manager of Pico Pijol National Park and proponent of the Yoro Biological Corridor Initiative in Honduras working to restore forest habitat in the coffee regions surrounding threatened national parks. MDI envisions public/private partnerships that supports new opportunities for coffee producers and local workforce in transitioning to carbon-neutral production and processing.

“Our results suggest that widespread adoption of IOC coffee could have a transformative effect in tropical agricultural landscapes by increasing forest cover while allowing for high agricultural yields.”

– Chandler et al. 2013. Conservation Biology Volume 27, pages 785-795

SOLAR-DRIED COFFEE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD.

Through research and development the Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI) is on the path to make some big changes in the coffee industry. The team has introduced solar/biofuel industrial scale drying technology. The renewable energy technology gets red of the need to burn wood during the drying process.  MDI is also preparing to scale up our model of coffee cultivation that restores and conserves forest habitat on private lands (coffee farms). The method called Integrated Open Canopy™ (IOC) is coupled with carbon-neutral processing to provide carbon offsets as incentive for adoption. Forest-friendly coffee production and processing in harmony with threatened national parks in Honduras is foundation of our Café Solar® coffee program.

Learn More About Our Solar Processed Coffee!

We’re Thankful For Our Partners!

Mesoamerican Development Institute Projects

Videos

Research Library/Biblioteca de Investigación

Yoro Biological Corridor

Co-Manager of Pico Pijol National Park, Yoro, Honduras

Off-Grid Coffee Processing

Integrated Open Canopy (IOC)™

Off-Grid Essential Oil Extraction

Hermetic Storage/Treatment

Recent News & Articles

Summary of Ecosystem Integrity Index Analysis for the Region Connecting Pico Pijol National Park and Mico Quemado Wildlife Refuge

Rich | Field Update, News | No Comments

The Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI) was invited to participate in an analysis of ecosystem integrity for the region of Honduras that includes the Mico Quemado Wildlife Refuge, Pico Pijol National…

Sustainability Update from the Coffee Regions of the Yoro Biological Corridor Initiative

Rich | cafe solar learn | No Comments

Recent legislation from the European Union that would ban coffee imports from coffee farms that are found to have contributed to deforestation from 2020 forward is forcing the coffee industry…

Dr. Jane Goodall Offers to Join Advisory Board to Promote Restoration of Forests in Parks and Connecting Coffee Regions in Honduras

Rich | News, Yoro Biological Corridor | No Comments

Letter of Support from Dr. Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace Lowell, Massachusetts – Dr. Jane Goodall, Founder of the Jane…

Challenges to Sustainability for the Coffee Industry

Rich | Field Update, News | No Comments

Increasing Coffee Production in the Department of Yoro, Honduras According to coffee industry projections, in order to keep up with consumer demand, an area nearly the size of Honduras and…