Get ready for a whirlwind of excitement in the Yemeni coffee scene! The specialty coffee market in Yemen has seen some significant upgrades and growth over the past few years, thanks to entrepreneurs focused on quality who've really caught the industry's eye. Another recent breakthrough is the discovery and exploration of the genetic diversity among Yemeni coffee varieties. Researchers have identified a group called Yemenia, which consists of local species that have evolved over centuries in Yemen’s arid, challenging climate. This genetic treasure trove could be a game-changer for developing drought-resistant varieties and for research into the origins and historical mutations of Arabica coffee.
Now, let’s dive a bit deeper into this particular coffee...
A few years ago, Cafe Imports' head of sourcing, Jason Long, embarked on a quest for exceptional Yemeni coffees—the kind you read about in coffee history books. His journey led him to Shabir Ezzi, an entrepreneur and owner of Al-Ezzi Industries, in 2010. Shabir has invested not just money, time, and energy, but his very life, relocating to Yemen to make high-quality coffee a viable, sustainable, and empowering pursuit for farmers around the Haraz area. Shabir aimed to elevate Yemeni coffee but lacked experience in quality development: Jason urged Al-Ezzi to focus on buying fresh (not dried) cherries from producers and to dry the cherries evenly on raised beds instead of traditional inner courtyards and rooftops. Shabir agreed, and the partnership yielded remarkable results. Al-Ezzi continues to work with producers in both the traditional and new methods, successfully buying coffee of varying quality levels and traceability from Yemeni producers.
The ways in which Al-Ezzi conducts its business in the Yemeni coffee market are quite distinct. Here are the key points that make their model attractive to Cafe Imports:
- Farmers are paid a high base price for delivering their coffee to Al-Ezzi’s own or participating collection stations and receive premiums for coffees meeting certain moisture, quantity, and quality selection standards.
- Coffee producers are issued voluntary personal ID cards, which serve not only as a source of pride and respect but also help track their deliveries and ensure proper, timely payment.
- Each farmer’s contribution is meticulously recorded, allowing coffees to be traced back to the individual farmer—quite unusual in a country where the average farmer produces less than 100 kilograms of cherries.
- Fresh, ripe red cherries earn an additional premium over dried cherries (as coffee is traditionally sold in the market), as buying fresh allows Al-Ezzi to ensure maturity and quality before drying and to control the drying process for uniformity.
Because of this alternative way of doing business with coffee producers in Yemen, Al-Ezzi and Cafe Imports can offer different "levels" of products from these farmers, paid according to their quality and volume. Here are the levels:
- Moka Yemeni: Workhorse coffees with reliably good quality, bought as dried cherries and processed in Sana'a at Al-Ezzi’s facility. These coffees are a mix of various types and grades of coffee and have limited traceability, but a classic Yemeni profile.
- Haraaz Traceable: Dried cherries bought directly from producers who possess producer ID cards issued by Al-Ezzi, allowing both proper allocation of funds and full traceability.
- Haraaz Fresh: Fresh coffee cherries bought directly from producers in the Sharqui Haraaz microregion, where Al-Ezzi receives coffee at local collection points. Fully traceable through the producer’s ID cards. The coffee is dried on raised beds and processed in Sana'a.
- Haraaz Red (this batch of coffee): Fresh cherries bought directly from producers who have picked or sorted perfectly ripe fruits and delivered them immediately after harvest. Fully traceable through the producer’s ID cards. The coffee is dried on raised beds and processed in Sana'a.
- Haraaz Microlot: Fresh red cherries bought from a single producer or small cooperative in sufficient quantity (at least 5 bags) to keep isolated and sold under the name of the producer or producers.
This batch includes fresh coffee cherries collected at the Mahal Aqeequl Yemen drying station, which collaborates with Al-Ezzi in gathering and tracking high-quality coffee cherries from farmers in the area.
As Cafe Imports continues to navigate the turbulent waters of importing coffee from Yemen, they remain committed partners to their exporter there and are always excited to showcase the best that Yemen has to offer.
