Some coffee farmers in El Salvador are rebounding

Some farmers in El Salvador are rebounding by breaking into a different market altogether - specialty coffee. To boost returns on coffee and its share of GDP, USAID helped the farmers of Las Lajas, and other cooperatives in El Salvador, improve how they harvested, processed, and marketed the coffee. Cherries, which encase coffee beans, are de-pulped and then fermented and washed. Farmers were taught when to pick ripe cherries and how to sort them before pulping. Farmers were also shown how best to dry and mill coffee beans.By improving the entire process, the cooperative was better able to produce high-quality arabica coffee. Varieties of arabica, a pricier bean than commercial robusta, can be sold as specialty coffee. Working with the Rainforest Alliance, USAID helped show farmers how to treat wash water to protect the environment. This has allowed the Las Lajas cooperative to certify its coffee as environmentally-friendly, boosting the market value of its products and attracting more buyers.