Coffee

In the lush highlands of northern Nicaragua, nestled between two natural reserves, La Cumplida isn’t your average coffee farm. Over two decades, massive reforestation and innovative agriculture practices have allowed it to transform the region, showing how a different approach to coffee farming can help restore ecosystems and shore up rural livelihoods.

The sprawling farm, acquired by French agronomist Clément Ponçon in the 1990s, now covers over 5,400 acres in the central valleys of the country, and was. Now led by Clément’s son Eric Ponçon, La Cumplida sells shade-grown coffee and hardwood timber, while tending primary forests placed in conservation.

Over the years, Ponçon and La Cumplida have made long-term investments in agricultural methods that strengthen crop resilience and bolster livelihoods. Coffee is lovingly tucked under a canopy of native trees, improving pollination and reducing pests. When the plants’ leaves fall to the ground, the soil retains more water and birds and insects flourish.