It is very likely that Yemen is the first place where coffee was intentionally cultivated as a crop. The current mythology says that coffee started in Ethiopia and then was taken to Yemen by traveling Sufi pilgrims. In spite of this heritage, coffee production in Yemen is falling and might soon no longer exist. Several factors are at play here, including old stock, old varietals, and the usual suspects in decreasing coffee yields that often make a very nice cup, but make it economically unsustainable to produce at the current market levels.
Groups like Al-Hamdani are working to reverse this trend. Acting as a unified force of 32,000 farmers, this groupmakes much needed financing accessible to alleviate the seasonal nature of a coffee farmer's income. They also work to ensure high quality standards and assist in the process of milling and sorting dried cherries. In 2007, Al-Hamdaniestablished a new dam to make irrigation available to the farmers in the region. We hope to see more farmers join together in movements like this that make the production of uniquehigh quality Yemeni coffees a financially viable reality.
