Tasty Yemeni specialty coffee is on its way to New York. Sustainable livelihood specialists from the USAID Economic Recovery and Livelihoods Program recently brokered a $26,000 deal between project coffee partner Mokha Story, and New York-based coffee trader, Counter Culture Coffee, to import 1,000 kg of Harazi green coffee beans. Yemeni specialty coffees bring much-needed income for the country’s farmers and traders and are a boon to high-end international retailers and their customers who focus on quality and sustainability.
Now that the deal is done, it’s a fairly simple process. Samples weighing 100 grams of different varieties are sent to prospective companies. Once quantity, packaging, and shipping details are approved, coffee is shipped by either sea or air.
"Thanks to USAID/ERLP, a small trader like us (compared to international large coffee/commodities traders) succeeded in increasing our income," said Mr. Kamal Yahya, Mokha Story Director of Quality. "USAID/ERLP helped coffee farmers and traders, including Mokha Story, deepen Yemen’s specialty coffee culture and further strengthen its reputation as a provider of high-quality specialty coffees. This fosters lucrative and sustainable international market opportunities for Yemeni farmers and traders."
USAID works closely with coffee farmers and traders to deepen Yemen’s gourmet coffee culture and boost Yemen’s reputation as a producer of quality coffee while helping beneficiary families diversify their income. Over the past 18 months, USAID’s project has helped seal more than $4 million in new sales agreements with local and regional Yemeni trading partners.
