El Salvador

Innovating to fight a crisis


SCA Score

82.5 - 83.25


Farmers

101


Price (USD/kg)

$4.49 USD - $10.43 USD

The Salvadoran coffee sector is scarred by political conflicts such as agrarian reform and civil war, as well as low market prices and the leaf rust crisis of 2012-2013. The production has reached a record low in 2020, which is expected to be repeated in 2021, generating concerns about the future of coffee in the country among producers and local organizations. On a smaller scale, El Salvador is also home to innovative farmers who carved a space in the specialty industry and are able to navigate difficult times. 

Download the latest Harvest Report here.

Coffee from El Salvador is renowned for its high quality with a full-bodied and creamy texture as well as notes of berries, stone fruits and citric acidity combined with chocolate and butterscotch. The high quality of the Salvadoran beans comes not only from the traditionally cultivated varieties like Bourbon, Pacas and Pacamara but also from careful post-harvesting practices which many times take place on the farm or high-altitude mills, where the temperatures are cool and the coffees dry slowly.

This tiny Central American country has six coffee growing regions identified according to the mountain range where they are located: Apaneca-Ilamatepec and El Bálsamo Quetzaltepec in the West, Alotepec-Metapán in the North, Chichontepec in the Centre, Tecapa-Chinameca and Cacahuatique in the East. Most Salvadoran farmers sell their coffee to mills or intermediaries, but many are now following the steps of Costa Ricans and building their own wet-mills and patios or solar dryers where they can process their coffees. Harvest runs from November to April. 

Algrano in El Salvador
Algrano has been working with Salvadoran producers since 2018. We partnered with family-owned businesses in the West of the country, mainly at the Apaneca-Ilamatepec and El Bálsamo Quetzaltepec mountain ranges. Amongst our partners are the famous Café Pacas and Café Tuxpal, both members of the Pacas family and known for discovering the Pacas and Bernardina varieties, and Sicafé, the farmers and exporters behind El Salvador’s highest wet-mill. Not to mention the innovative Carlos Pola, whose coffees have been cherry-picked for European competitions. Our team has also met members of the local chapter of the International Womens’ Coffee Alliance (IWCA), who have been offering coffees on the platform since 2020.