What the production challenges and innovative solutions are for the coffee industry in Latin America. An interview with Jan Carlo Handtke, owner of Mapache Coffee in El Salvador.

In this episode, Brendon interviews Jan Carlo, a coffee farmer, processor and exporter from El Salvador. Jan Carlo and his wife, Sofia, operate Mapache, which produces coffee all over El Salvador through sustainable means. Jan Carlo shares about the biggest issues facing coffee production, particularly in El Salvador: plant pathogens, labor issues and climate change. Jan Carlo discusses solutions to these problems, as well as his innovative approach to vertically integrating his business to maximize profitability. We also chat about how coffee growers/processors can add value to their product to maximize quality and mitigate the price crisis.

Jan Carlo also answers questions about: shade grown coffee (as well as other certifications like CAFE practices), how El Sal's civil war has affected the coffee industry and why cupping your coffee is critical to understanding your quality and obtaining a high farmgate price (i.e., $/lb or $/kg).

To learn more about Mapache Coffee, and their farms and facilities, click here.
To visit their Instagram, click here.

To find Mapache Coffee in the U.S., here is the list of Roasters and Coffee Shops that source their coffee:

8th & Roast
Barista Parlor
Bitty & Beau's
Black Rifle Coffee
Blackbeard Coffee
Bigbee Coffee Roasters
Camino Coffee Roasters
Candyland Distributors
Cervantes Coffee
Coastal Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mob
Congregation Coffee
Cool Beanz Espresso
Custom Cup Coffee
Honeybee Coffee Roasters
Indie Coffee Roasters
Krankies Coffee
Methodical Coffee
Moon Enterprises
Otus Coffee
Perc Coffee
Piedmont Petroleum
Polite Coffee
Quills Coffee
Reverie Coffee Roasters
Rhino Coffee
Springbok Coffee Roasters
Steel Oak Coffee
Thunderkiss Coffee
Vice & Virtue
Yaggy Road Roasting
Zealie Beans