Anticipate the Annual Yemeni Coffee Auction
Qima Coffee and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence have announced the sixth annual edition of their online private collection auction titled “Best of Yemen: Coffee and Climate”. This year’s auction, scheduled for October 8, 2024, celebrates Yemen’s unique climate and its profound impact on coffee production across various regions of Yemen.
As is well-known, Yemen boasts a rich heritage in coffee, recognized as the driest and most extreme coffee-growing region in the world, with the broadest range of temperatures. Despite these challenging conditions, Yemeni coffee farmers have developed innovative cultivation techniques that balance economic sustainability with environmental conservation. These techniques have led to the development of cultivated coffee varieties that have become foundational to the world’s arabica varieties.
Yemen has played a significant and crucial role in the history of coffee; without it, the world would not have known this magical beverage. Yemen’s potential for the future is just as important as its historical significance. The ability of Yemeni farmers to grow coffee in seemingly impossible conditions provides valuable and inspiring lessons, especially as other coffee-growing regions face similar challenges due to climate change. The knowledge and techniques developed in Yemen may be essential for other coffee communities around the world as they contend with the threat of arabica extinction due to climatic stress.
Faris Sheibani, founder and CEO of Qima Coffee, said: “The delicate and complex relationship between coffee and climate remains unexplored in the context of Yemen; farmers here have been growing their crops in diverse conditions for generations and possess an intuitive ecological understanding of their fields. The incoming challenges from climate change will disproportionately impact their lives and livelihoods and will echo throughout the supply chain. Therefore, this year’s ‘Best of Yemen’ is more than just an event; it is a call for a more sustainable future supported by contemporary scientific research and equitable community action.”
Erwin Mierisch, executive director of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, added: “Yemeni coffee stands as a remarkable testament to quality and resilience; despite the harsh climate and political environment, it continues to deliver a flavor as rich and enduring as its heritage.”
The “Best of Yemen” auction, a cornerstone event in the Yemeni specialty coffee calendar, brings together exceptional products from across the country and presents them to some of the world’s most discerning buyers through its innovative online platform. As part of Qima Coffee’s efforts to establish a fair and sustainable supply chain, the auction returns for its sixth edition with a vision of a sustainable future for thousands of its participants.
By highlighting Yemen’s unique contributions to coffee cultivation and the pressing challenges posed by climate change, this year’s auction underscores the importance of sustainable practices and global cooperation in preserving the rich heritage of Yemeni coffee.
