The Mokha Institute (TMI) in collaboration with Yemen’s Unity of Coffee Organization, the highest authority concerned with Yemeni coffee, the Union of Yemeni Coffee cooperatives and leading coffee exporters, launched the National Yemen Coffee Auction (NYCA) in Sana’a, Yemen.

NYCA will be the first of its kind in the country featuring coffees from across Yemen, celebrating the best that Yemeni coffee has to offer and to connect coffee producers and exporters to the international coffee market. Over 15 media outlets from across Yemen were present in the inaugural event at the prestigious Saba Hotel in Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a with an audience of over 400 farming cooperative representatives and leading exporters. While there have been a number of successful private auctions featuring Yemeni coffee, there has been no unified national platform promoting coffee in Yemen.

The Executive Director of the Mokha Institute, Mokhtar AlKhanshali, who led the event virtually from the Institute’s headquarters in California, spoke to farming cooperative representatives and leading exporters directly, educating them on how, “Nonprofit auction platforms like Cup of Excellence and Best of Panama have become bridges for smallholder farmers to reach better paying coffee markets, globally.”

The Mokha Institute believes that the National Yemen Coffee Auction will not only amplify the profile of Yemeni coffee internationally but improve the quality of coffee and increase the opportunities for education and training for coffee producers and exporters.

Training and marketing events will continue throughout the harvest season in coffee regions throughout Yemen, while events to launch the NYCA for international buyers are scheduled to begin January of 2022.

Through the NYCA, The Mokha Institute aims to enhance and promote economic growth, create a market for Yemeni coffee producers to directly engage international buyers and enable the expansion of the market for Yemeni coffee.

The event featured international guest speakers that included Willem Boot from Boot Coffee, producer Wilford Lamastus from Panama, roaster Hiver Van Geehoven from Chromatic coffee in California, roaster Jarrah Al Buloushi from Richards coffee in Kuwait and others.

Mohammad Al Qasimi, the head of Yemen’s Unity of Coffee Organization, called on exporters and producers, “To take advantage of the opportunity through the national auction to reach new international markets for their coffee.”Al Qasimi indicated, “The first national auction of Yemeni coffee aims to unify all national efforts and initiatives to develop the coffee sector in Yemen and to market and promote it at fair prices.

In attendance was Dr. Amin Al-Hakimi, the head of The Coffee Center for Research and Studies and professor of plant breeding at Sana’a University. He stated, “The importance of the auction is in expanding the Yemeni coffee market and enhancing its reputation and competitiveness at the local and external levels which will support the national economy and encourage farmers to expand its cultivation and productivity.”

The head of the Union of Yemeni Coffee Cooperatives, Dr. Saad Al-Merri, called for, “The concerted efforts of all and coordination between farmers and exporters of coffee to serve the development needs of Yemeni coffee.”

Yemen’s Unity of Coffee Organization seeks to promote Yemeni coffee internationally as well as draft sector policies to support producers, exporters and solve the concerns of workers across the industry.

The Mokha Institute (TMI) is a nonprofit organization with offices in northern California and Yemen. TMI’s mission is to empower coffee communities with industry expertise, training and education, and providing holistic livelihood support.