Behind the Beans: Lucia de Ortiz and Silvia Ortiz
About “Behind the Beans”
In “Behind the Beans,” we look at the places where relationships in coffee are really built: with the people who make quality possible long before a lot reaches you. In this edition, we’re speaking with Lucia and Silvia, who are running the family Farm Las Mercedes in El Salvador together.
Interview with Lucia de Ortiz and Silvia Ortiz
What is your relationship with cumpa?
Finca Las Mercedes has a direct commercial relationship with Cumpa, supplying green coffee from different varieties and processing methods.
How did you get into the coffee industry?
Coffee has been part of the Ortiz family for 140 years. The farm is an important part of our family legacy and heritage, passed down through generations.
What do you like about the specialty coffee industry?
Beyond the exceptional coffee itself, what I value most are the relationships that develop with customers. Over time, these relationships become special friendships, and many of them are part of what I call my “coffee family.” I know they would support us whenever we need it, just as we would support them. We share good communication and, above all, trust.
Another reason I love specialty coffee is that it allows the world to know who we are, what we do, and where we come from. It gives us a privileged place within the wonderful world of coffee and the opportunity to showcase our work and our origin.
What do you want to achieve with coffee?
I hope we can continue achieving strong production levels that allow us to cover costs and improve wages and benefits for our workers. I also want to keep supporting the clinic that serves our employees, their families, and the surrounding communities.
Most importantly, I want to highlight the environmental importance of coffee cultivation. Coffee farms are the lungs of our country. They help recharge groundwater reserves and protect the availability of water, a vital resource for everyone.
What does (specialty) coffee mean to you?
Specialty coffee reflects the hard work and passion that we put into our farms every single day. Selling coffee at a better price allows us to provide greater benefits to our workers and communities.
As the wife of the fourth generation and the mother of the fifth generation of coffee producers, specialty coffee means preserving the legacy that the Ortiz family has built since 1886. For me, it is both a passion and a source of great pride.
What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you with coffee?
Winning the Cup of Excellence with a coffee from Finca La Ávila was undoubtedly one of my most memorable moments. It was a lot that I personally selected, and it achieved sixth place while being recognized as the highest-scoring Bourbon variety in the competition.
Another special highlight is that many people call me “The Seagull of Eastern Coffee” (La Gaviota del Café de Oriente). I take it as a compliment because it means that people recognize and appreciate the work I am doing.
Which coffee prejudice would you like to dispel?
I would like to challenge the belief that coffee is bad for your health—especially the idea that it is harmful to the stomach or that it automatically raises blood pressure.
Which coffee highlight are you currently looking forward to the most?
At the moment, I am most excited about completing the renovation of the entire farm and continuing to provide my clients with what I believe is the best coffee in El Salvador.
