From seed to cup
In 2000, Emilio Lopez Diaz had a decision to make. A recent graduate of an engineering management degree at the University of Portland, Emilio could follow his original plan to open a microbrewery in his home country of El Salvador, or, he could join the family coffee business.
“At one point, my family was producing and exporting a lot of coffee. But my mother was one of 11 and so was my grandmother. The land had been divided to the point where we only owned 25 hectares,” Emilio tells BeanScene.
“About nine months before I graduated, my dad visited me. He said we needed to either sell or grow my mother’s business. The coffee price was too low, and to continue, we would need to invest in becoming millers or exporters to
