• Based in Ataco, El Salvador, Mauricio Salaverria is one of the original coffee producers with whom we started the Fantôme Café project. Mauricio is one of the pioneers of specialty coffee in the Apaneca region, making of him today one of the best producers of natural process coffees in El Salvador. Moreover, the Salaverria family is one of the first, in El Salvador, to produce specialty coffee, and this, with a attention to high quality from the start. Mauricio is the fifth generation to take over the reins of the family coffee plantations, and the very first generation to launch into specialty production.

  • Producer: Mauricio Salaverria

His story

  • In 2005, he made the risky decision to transition to specialty production when he saw his cost of production exceed his income when he sold his coffee as a commodity to the area cooperative. We paid Mauricio on average 2.1x more than the international price of coffee.

  • “We have been working on specialty coffees here for approximately 13-14 years, without stopping. With a lot of pitfalls, but also with a lot of progress thanks to specialty coffee. »

    - Mauricio Salaverria

How does the coffee council or the government help you progress in this area, change varieties or help you, as a producer? Do you think the government is there to help you, yes or no?

“Last year, the government helped us coffee producers to plant, sow, renovate coffee plantations. It's coming. If the government subsidizes, it distributes plants, money for small, medium and large coffee producers. Last year, I received 75,000 plants. So we planted them all for free. Yes, but the problem was that there were many small producers who did not have enough money for transport and work. That's why... And also with inflation, transport costs are excessively high because obviously gasoline, diesel, everything is more expensive. This is one of the reasons why carriers have increased the cost of all travels. So there was coffee available, the coffee farmers wanted it, but they did not have the money to pay for transport. So it was a problem, particularly because in the end, small producers had to fend for themselves. I found a solution. I found a way to help myself and transport them with my own truck. I managed to do it, but not everyone was able to do it. »

Interview by Louis-Philippe, Fantôme Café founder (2023)
  • Farm: Divisadero
    Region: Apaneca, El Salvador

    He has managed to finish ten times in the top 25 of the Cup of Excellence, a competition highlighting the best coffees in El Salvador.

  • Thanks to his generosity and his wealth of experience, Mauricio helps us support other producers in the region to make this same transition and at least double their profits.