Yemen and Coffee: Does the Birthplace of Coffee Hold the Solution to Climate Challenges?
Global Coffee Report recently published a fascinating story under the title: “Does Yemen hold coffee’s climate solution?”. The story explores Yemen’s unique position as the birthplace of coffee and its potential to address the global climate challenges threatening the coffee industry. It highlights how Yemeni coffee thrives in one of the most arid environments on Earth, with extreme temperatures and annual rainfall of only 200–350 millimeters—far below the 1,000 millimeters coffee typically requires to grow.
Despite these harsh conditions, Yemen’s coffee trees continue to flourish, raising questions about the secret behind their resilience. Faris Sheibani, the CEO and founder of Qima Coffee, believes Yemen’s historical and genetic treasures can play a critical role in securing the future of coffee globally.
“Yemen was the first country to commercialize coffee, pioneering coffee trading and the coffee culture as a drink,” Sheibani says. “Today, Yemen remains a pioneer in many ways.”
Realizing the untapped potential of Yemeni coffee, Sheibani founded Qima Coffee in 2016 with a mission to restore Yemen’s coffee to its rightful place in global markets. However, he faced numerous challenges, including Yemen’s weak infrastructure, where transporting coffee from farms to markets can take up to six hours to cover just 100 kilometers. Additionally, issues of transparency, quality, and illegal blending with other coffee varieties had undermined the reputation of Yemeni coffee.
To address these issues, Qima Coffee rebuilt the coffee supply chain from the ground up, working directly with farmers to ensure only the finest cherries were harvested and processed under strict quality standards. The company also invested in critical infrastructure, such as drying stations, mills, and collection centers, while educating farmers on specialty coffee practices to improve quality and traceability.
The report also underscores Yemen’s genetic diversity as a potential solution to the global coffee industry’s climate challenges. Yemen is home to some of the most genetically diverse coffee varieties in the world. In collaboration with geneticist Dr. Christophe Montagnon, Qima Coffee discovered a unique genetic cluster in Yemeni coffee named Yemenia. This discovery represents a breakthrough that could help coffee plants worldwide combat climate stress, pests, and diseases.
Beyond genetics, Yemen’s traditional farming practices offer valuable lessons for other regions. Yemeni farmers, for instance, plant coffee trees in holes as deep as one meter to ensure roots can access stable water sources during prolonged droughts, a technique that has enabled coffee to survive in Yemen’s harsh climate for over 600 years.
The story also highlights the critical role of women in Yemen’s coffee sector, where they contribute 60–80% of the labor. Qima Coffee has worked since 2019 to empower women farmers, culminating in a landmark achievement last year when a women’s farming group won the top prize at Qima’s Best of Yemen auction.
Yemeni coffee is also celebrated for its unique flavor profiles, ranging from bold and wine-like to fruity and floral, offering an unparalleled diversity of tastes. During a cupping session, Yemeni coffee samples from 10 regions were so distinct that tasters thought they were from 10 different countries.
In conclusion, Sheibani emphasizes the need for the world to acknowledge Yemen’s contributions to coffee. “These communities have preserved Arabica’s genetic diversity for 600 years. It’s time for them to be rewarded for their efforts and for Yemen’s unique coffee culture to be fully recognized.
