El Salvador
Coffee was introduce to El Salvador in the late 1880s and in less than 40 years, it accounted for 90% of the country’s export. Its production was owned by a landed elite, linked to the governance of the country.
These leaders of the coffee economy invested in infrastructure but on the other hand, those without land (the majority of the population) have not truly benefited of the wealth created by this economy.
Inequality led to civil war lasting from 1979 to 1992. This has resulted in a land reform, which broke up many of the country’s large estates.
Today the majority of the producers grow coffee on fewer than 20 hectares, and no single person can own more than 245 hectares.
The majority of the coffee produced in El Salvador is shade grown.
Farmers’ passion and expertise combined with a skilled picking and milling workforce contributes to the high quality of the country’s production.
It is the smallest of the Central American nations but it used to show very high yields.
Nowadays the production went down because of both the negative impact of the roja and the lack ofgovernment investment.
