A kilo of Yemeni coffee just fetched nearly US$976 at a national auction — a figure that says a lot about how prized these highland beans are, and how far the country is pushing to rebuild an industry it essentially invented for the world. At an International Coffee Day gathering in Sanaa, farmers, traders and officials laid out an ambitious revival plan that runs directly against the odds of a decade of conflict.

The numbers are striking. Around 15 million coffee trees have gone into the ground over the past five years, according to Mohammed Al-Qasimi, who heads the Coffee Unit at Sanaa's agricultural authorities. Production has jumped from roughly 17,000 tonnes to between 42,000 and 45,000 tonnes in 2025, with about 50,000 tonnes targeted for 2026. And there's more to come: an initiative aims to plant 100 million trees over ten years, spread across Yemen's mountains, slopes and ancient agricultural terraces.

The push is as much about identity as output. Yemen's coffee once shipped through the Red Sea port of Mocha — yes, that Mocha — and the country wants its historic place in global coffee culture back. Around 250,000 people now work in the sector, and more than 276 companies, projects and entrepreneurs have piled in. Yemeni beans are already reaching buyers in the Gulf, the US, Europe and Asia, with outfits like the Haraz Coffee Centre promoting the country's distinctive flavours internationally since 2016.

The catch is logistics. Conflict has wrecked roads, ports and trade routes, and the costs show: sending a one-kilo sample abroad now runs up to US$120, up from about US$20. A sample that once landed with a customer in three days can take 20 to 30; bulk shipments that arrived in a week can drag on for three or four months. As Al-Qasimi puts it, demand isn't the problem — delivery is.

For now, most travellers will encounter Yemeni coffee as a premium cup rather than a trip, given the security situation on the ground. But the story matters for anyone who cares about where great coffee comes from: a country with one of the deepest coffee heritages on earth is fighting its way back, and if the supply chains untangle, expect Yemeni single-origin beans to become far easier to find — and worth seeking out — in speciality cafes worldwide. Credit: Malay Mail Life (Bernama-Xinhua)