90.83

Overview

MALACARA was the main farm among the various farms in the Santa Ana Volcano owned by Alvarez family. Its unusual name (BAD FACE) comes after a popular man whose family name was MALACARA. History tells that this man was so popular that after acquiring the farm, Don Rafael Alvarez named it “Medellin” after his own place of birth; however, people continued to refer to the place as “MALACARA” disregarding the owners will.

It goes back to 1888 when Rosa Valle inherited the property from Mr. Andres Valle. Rosa was married to Francisco Alvarez Lalinde, brother of Don Rafael Alvarez Lalinde, great-grandfather of the Alvarez Prunera family. Francisco inherited Malacara upon Rosa’s death at childbirth. He also died in 1898 at the age of 33, and the property passed on to his brother. Don Rafael had 13 sons: Samuel Alvarez Angel, who was the youngest, inherited MALACARA. After his death, the property was transferred to his descendants: Samuel, Emma and Arturo Alvarez Meza. In 1995 the farm was divided in three parts, one for each member of the Alvarez Meza family. The “B” fraction was given to the children of Emma Alvarez Meza. Today, Roberto and Claude -fourth generation coffee growers- are now responsible for the farm’s management through the company CHANTUC, S. A. de C. V.

Since the beginning of the XX century the MALACARA brand has been recognized by the coffee world as being one of the best coffees produced in El Salvador . The Alvarez Family exported the Strictly High Grown (SHG) coffee from their farms under the brand MALACARA 5000 PIES, mainly to Germany and The United States.

In 2011, MALACARA “B” won the Presidential Award at the Cup of Excellence® event, obtaining 90.83 points. When Don Rafael Alvarez Lalinde began the coffee business in El Salvador , he got advised from coffee farmers in Colombia , history tells that one of these friend told him two facts to be successful in the coffee business: To keep a coffee nursery to always have new plants in the farm. And the other, “To be hard with the Indians”. Hi followed the first advised and never the second one. Good treatment of the employees has been an important factor of the business ethics for the Alvarez family, in every coffee plantation owned by the Alvarez family existed a school, a clinic and a sports facility for the free used of the employees. To continue with the legacy, MALACARA has a school where 90 children from the surrounding areas attend up to the ninth grade. There is also a soccer field used by the community. Good housing is also provided for the employees, five families live permanently on the farm which provides employment for 20 permanent workers and about 100 people during harvesting. To pick to best cherries, pickers are compensated with wages that are 50% above the legal minimum wage.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: The farm has also being diversified into other crops such as avocado, prunes, raspberries, and peaches to supply local markets, these crops gives employment to more people during the year. Many local species of trees still exists and are kept and diversified in the farm to maintain the rich flora and fauna of the area intact. There are community talks to promote environmental and health issues for the inhabitants and a program to for the disposal of the solid waste.