Qima - meaning top in Arabic - was founded to shine a spotlight on the amazingheritage and production of coffee in Yemen. It’s founder, Faris Sheibani, is committed to offering farmers in Yemen a sustainable way to continuing farming their coffee, in the way it has been done for centuries. By increasing traceability and consistency, Qima helps the incredible coffees of Yemen coffee receive the attention they deserve in speciality markets. Whilst the coffee tree has its roots in Ethiopia, the coffee drink originated in Yemen. Up until the early 1700s, the country was the world’s sole exporter of coffee. Yemen has extreme desert plains, large coastlines, and vast volcanic mountain ranges. Due to its microclimatic and genetic diversity, and the centuries old cultivation techniques, Yemen’s cup profiles are as diverse as the flavour wheel.
Qima initially sourced coffee from just 30 farmers in one small community in Yemen. Through continued investment and as the profile of Yemeni coffee has grown, this has now expanded to over 2,600 farmers across 53 communities in Yemen’s coffee growing areas. The focus remains the creation of relationships where quality and an equitable trade relationship help empower coffee farmers at some of Yemen’s highest altitudes.
