region dedicated to coffee cultivation increased
from 0.9 million hectares in 1961 to 1.6 million hectares in 2012,
representing an annual growth of 1.1% over the period. From a
socioeconomic standpoint, coffee cultivation is an important
source of rural employment; in 2002, it accounted for 28% of all
rural employment in the region, and was especially significant in
Nicaragua, with 42%