El Salvador — Overview & CTH Presence

Country Profile

El Salvador is CTH's smallest country engagement by coverage depth — CLP cohorts only, with no REIN Hub established. Despite this, El Salvador offers a unique cleantech profile: it is the only dollarized economy in the CTH portfolio, which simplifies green bond issuance and international investor access. The country's small geographic size (21,041 km²) and flat-to-hilly Pacific slope terrain create favorable conditions for solar energy deployment.

Economy and Climate Context

El Salvador's economy is driven by remittances (~26% of GDP), services, and agriculture. Coffee, historically the dominant export commodity, has declined due to coffee leaf rust (roya) and climate variability but remains the primary EUDR-exposed commodity. The country is highly vulnerable to ENSO-driven drought, tropical storms, and coastal flooding. Deforestation has reduced forest cover to approximately 12% of total land area — one of the lowest in the Americas.

CTH Engagement Summary

CTH's El Salvador footprint consists of CLP cohort participation since 2023. Startup participation has focused on solar energy, specialty coffee traceability, and drought adaptation technologies. The absence of a REIN Hub limits post-cohort support infrastructure. El Salvador startups have accessed Sustenttia diagnostics through the regional CLP platform.

EUDR Exposure

El Salvador's EUDR exposure is concentrated in specialty coffee, which is the country's most valuable agricultural export to the EU. Coffee farms are predominantly small-scale (70% under 5 hectares), creating significant challenges for plot-level geolocation and documentation requirements under EUDR Article 9. Cacao production is minor but growing in eastern departments. Wood exposure relates primarily to firewood and charcoal production, not industrial timber.

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  "country": "el_salvador",
  "iso_code": "SV",
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  "cth_rein": false,
  "gf_taxonomy": false,
  "ndc_year": 2021,
  "eudr_commodities": ["coffee", "cacao", "wood"],
  "schema_version": "1.1"
}