Coffee cultivation in El Salvador has historically been a major part of the country’s economy and history. Production began in the mid-1800s, and by the end of the 1970s, it represented more than 50% of the nation’s total export income.
El Salvador’s coffee production peaked in 1980, but political and economic turmoil as a result of the country’s civil war has impacted the coffee industry.
Since 2000, the industry has been greatly affected by increased competition from other countries on the world market, whose cheaper coffee beans have caused prices to plummet.
Since 2002, coffee trading has only been responsible for 3.5% of El Salvador’s GNP.
Over 90% of El Salvador’s coffee is grown in shade coffee plantations, and around 80% of the nation’s forests are associated with shade-grown coffee farming.