Given El Salvador’s size, it is surprising that by the 1970s it was the world’s fourth-largest producer of coffee. However, this position came at a considerable cost, as it was the result of decades of exploitation of a rural coffee working class which ultimately saw the country slide into a civil war lasting from 1979 to 1992. Violence, land reforms and a climate-driven rust crisis few farmers were prepared for; these forces combined to reduce harvest volumes by millions of bags.  

Times have been difficult in El Salvador, but with improved access to the specialty coffee market, the work of the Consejo Salvadoreño Del Café which promotes the origin abroad while providing a support network for coffee producers, has helped El Salvador move forward as a specialty coffee origin.  

El Salvador is home to our second export operation, started back in 2012. It was an exciting change for us, coming from Colombia, where up until recently it was actually illegal export coffee that wasn’t washed process. El Salvador offered us new opportunities and perspectives via collaboration with producers who meticulously process natural and honey coffees.