Over the past decades, there’s been normal injections of new roasting technology, espresso coffee brewing device refinement and even coffee processing methods, however we’ve seen in truth little in the way of new additions to the raw plant material. That’s among the reasons that the current identification of an totally new genetic group in Yemen is so significant – genetic diversity offers a more robust agricultural future. The other reason this discovery is so significant is that benefits have been firmly connected to the ownership of the traditional smallholder farmers of Yemen’s dramatic landscapes – the oldest coffee cultivation in the world – who have been wracked by civil war, climate change and a wildly fluctuating global market.
We’re pretty excited due to the reality that we’ve been lucky enough to score a in fact select lot from this groundbreaking auction to share with you all! Pre-order Lot #9 from the Mutawasat Community before the cutoff at 9am, Tues 9th Feb 2021.
Pre-Order Here!
Image: Qima Coffee
Faris Sheibani founded Qima Coffee only a few years ago when he identified the opportunity for coffee to lift up the livelihoods of the people of his native Yemen. Seeing the potential for coffee to provide much necessary income, Qima partnered with Dr. Christophe Montagnon of RD2 Vision to spearhead science study to map the genetics of the coffee that has been cultivated on the terraced hills of Yemen for centuries. The impacts identified an completely new genetic ‘mother’ group – Yemenia – and the results in the cup were excellent! Joining forces with the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (of COE fame), in 2020, Qima hosted an blind cupping of these distinctive coffees and the resulting top lots were offered to the world at an international auction. Thanks to our partnership with Upstream Coffee Imports, we managed to secure this special natural process coffee from the Mutawasat Community – among only 15 lots worldwide of this new genetic discovery.
Image: Qima Coffee
While these coffees are no doubt expensive, it’s the added genetic diversity adding to coffee’s resilience and the potential positive impact for the livelihoods of the worlds oldest coffee farming community, that should in reality stand out. The fact that the coffees from the Yemenia group are being likened to Gesha and turning up some intriguingly delicious flavours is just the icing on the cake!
To hear more about the foundation of the discovery of Yemenia, watch this ideal interview between James Hoffman and Faris Sheibani of Qima Coffee…
This post is based on the opinion from Five Senses, a wholesale coffee roaster and retail coffee seller, with an great website.
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