Coffee farmers hopeful, not so henequen farmers

Two stories from the Houston Chronicle demonstrate that Salvadoran farmers, like farmers everywhere, are often subject to market forces and government policies beyond their control. The first story describes how the Salvadoran coffee industry is trying to develop a raise its profile for excellent coffee. The country's reputation for coffee was overshadowed for years by the civil war, but now a growing world market for gourmet coffees and the bourbon variety of coffee bean, offer opportunity for some coffee plantations.

Traditionally coffee pickers place the harvested beans in bags made from henequen fibers. The second story highlights the plight of the henequen farmers, whose market is shrinking as synthetic fibers replace henequen. In 2008, a tax on plastic will expire, making it more economical to make bags for coffee out of plastic and destroying the henequen market even more.