Los Naranjos

Since the introduction of its first seedlings in the 1740s, Arabica coffee cultivation initially reached Ahuachapán, Santa Ana, and Sonsonate, encouraged by agrarian colonialism, which, between 1870 and 1930, promoted the expulsion of communal lands in favor of a landed elite, the so-called 14 families, consolidating itself as the country's economic foundation. In Sonsonate, especially in municipalities such as Juayúa, Izalco, Salcoatitán, and Nahuizalco, coffee became the local economic backbone, generating employment and increased population on coffee farms and in processing plants.

In terms of production, Sonsonate has been part of the country's so-called western coffee mountain range, providing high-quality coffee, especially shade-grown varieties like Bourbon and Pacas. Despite this, recent decades have been marked by a severe crisis: diseases like coffee rust, climate change, low profitability, and the abandonment of farms have significantly reduced production and employment in the area.

From an environmental perspective, the shade – grown coffee plantations that predominate in Sonsonate function as forests, capturing carbon, regulating watersheds, and preserving biodiversity. Nearly 95% of the crops are shaded and provide approximately 7.8% of the national vegetation cover.

Today, coffee farms not only generate income and temporary and permanent employment for thousands of families in the region, but they also define the economic mobilization and organization of many rural communities.