The Apaneca – Ilamatepec mountain range, located in western El Salvador, is one of the most important coffee-growing regions in the country. It accounts for approximately 60% of the country's coffee production, thanks to its fertile, volcanic soils and favorable climate for the development and production of specialty coffee. This region is home to approximately 78,000 hectares of coffee plantations, distributed across the departments of Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, and Santa Ana. Economically, this mountain range generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs, from nursery planting to the wet & dry processing to the final bean preparation.
The Apaneca – Ilamatepec mountain range is also home to a rich biodiversity, with cloud forests that protect endemic species of flora and fauna, in addition to recharging aquifers and mitigating climate change, serving as an important green lung and ecological corridor in the region.
