It is a challenging time for the Yemen coffee farmers, which in part is why I’m pleased to announce that scheduled plans for U.S. coffee trade events benefitting this exceptional origin will go forward in April. Please see below:
A delegation from Yemen and representatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Competitive Agriculture Systems for High Value Crops (CASH) program will participate in two specialty coffee trade-focused events in April. The engagements will feature Yemen’s distinctive coffees and place emphasis on USAID Yemen’s commitment to coffee development activity in order to create food security and promote peace.
April 6, 2015 – La Colombe Torrefaction, Washington D.C.
Beginning in Washington D.C. on Monday, April 6th, a tasting event will be held at La Colombe’s Shaw café at 924 Rear N St. NW (Blagden Alley) at 2:00 P.M. to highlight CASH market access initiatives linking private businesses with a sustainable supply of high quality coffee from Yemen. Representatives from USAID Yemen, La Colombe co-Founder Todd Carmichael and project representatives will be on-hand to conduct the event and explain the significance of the program’s work. Coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike are welcome to attend and encouraged to RSVP.
April 9-12, 2015 – Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Event, Seattle WA
The delegation will continue to Seattle for strategic meetings between industry representatives and CASH program officials during the SCAA Event followed by a cupping of new crop Yemen coffees open to all trade professionals on Saturday, April 11th in Cupping Exchange room #618 from 3:30-5:00p.
Yemen is a historic origin of coffee production with a unique combination of growing conditions, diverse plant genetics, processing method and an ancient trade system that creates desirable flavors not found elsewhere in the coffee industry; it is also one of the poorest countries in the world.
USAID is supporting the people of Yemen through the CASH, a Feed the Future financed program designed to create sustainable market systems that increase rural incomes and enable poor residents to purchase the food necessary to meet their daily nutrition needs thus improving food security. Implementation of the program is managed by Land O’Lakes International Development with coffee sector assistance to increase production, quality and market access provided by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).