The launching of the initiative was presided over by the minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Enrique Parada, and the Ambassador of Italy in El Salvador, Edoardo Pucci; and was held at the Asociación Cafetalera de El Salvador, Chalatenango.

Minister Parada explained that the project will be executed by the Consejo Salvadoreño del Café (CSC) and will directly benefit 1,100 producers and some 4,400 people linked to coffee activities in the Alotepec-Metapán and Cacahuatique mountain ranges.

"The promotion of coffee growing is a fundamental part of our Government, and with this project we seek to contribute to the dynamization of the national economy to generate opportunities for families, companies and the country. And we will achieve this by strengthening the production, productivity and profitability of coffee", said the head of the ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

Ambassador Edoardo Pucci emphasized that: "The Vivicafé project aims to improve the conditions of small coffee producers and increase sustainability, improving the quality of coffee".

The head of MAG explained that Vivicafé will be developed over two years, through three components:

Component 1: will be focused on supporting small coffee growers through actions such as: training and technical assistance, delivery of inputs, renovation of farms, production of nurseries of various trees. With an investment of more than US$1,185,412.

Component 2: will promote the added value of coffee in the post-harvest phase, with the development of a sustainability plan, creation and equipping of quality control laboratories, provision of wet and dry mills, African beds, wastewater tanks, roasting equipment, mills and sealers, among others. It will require an investment of more than US$2,767,725.

Component 3: will be focused on the valorization and promotion of Café de El Salvador, through training for international commercialization, the technification of access to soluble coffee processing technology, among other actions. The investment for this stage is US$1,087,234.

Vivicafé will allocate more than US$5 million for our coffee growing, an agricultural activity that represents a great contribution to the economy, society and the environment.

Minister Enrique Parada emphasized that: "In addition to this project, we are carrying out many others in parallel, in order to strengthen this sector, so that production increases, since this year international prices are favorable. We also expect to exceed one million quintals in this harvest".

And he reminded the coffee growers that: "Soon we will be able to count on the Instituto Salvadoreño del Café, which will put us again at the forefront of technology, and we will seek to become again a reference in the region".