Finca Santa Rosa is one of the most distinctive coffee farms in Central America. Originally planted with pine trees for resin production, the land now resembles a Scandinavian forest—with towering pines offering natural shade for the pacamara trees below. This unique environment, paired with Jorge Raul Rivera’s commitment to quality, has earned Santa Rosa global recognition for exceptional pacamara coffees.

In 1979, brothers Jorge Raúl Rivera Jr. and José Roberto founded Finca Santa Rosa as a pine resin production farm, supplying raw materials for the perfume industry. It wasn’t until 2003—after witnessing El Salvador’s first Cup of Excellence auction—that the brothers began to recognise the farm’s potential for growing exceptional coffee.

Thus began a new chapter in Santa Rosa’s history. Pacamara was planted alongside the existing pine forests, which were preserved not only to continue resin production but also to provide essential shade for the coffee trees in Chalatenango’s hot, dry climate.

Since then, Jorge’s company, Rivera Coffee, has earned global acclaim for its high-quality Pacamara coffees. Jorge has achieved first place in the El Salvador Cup of Excellence three times—in 2014, 2017, and 2019—and has secured top-10 placements in numerous other years. He travels extensively to build and strengthen relationships with his partners, including a number of direct trade collaborations facilitated by Project Origin.

In 2019, Rivera Coffee expanded operations to Finca La Fincona, where Jorge applies the same meticulous processing methods used at Santa Rosa while cultivating a broader range of varieties. Natural fertilisers are used to support plant vitality and soil health, reinforcing the farm’s long-term sustainability. Alongside specialty coffee production, pine resin and florals continue to be harvested for fragrance use, ensuring a diversified and resilient business model.