UNITED STATES
Alliance for Coffee Excellence will conduct a Private Collection coffee auction to support smallholder farmers in Yemen.
UK-based Qima Coffee, ACE’s partner in the project, works directly with smallholder farmers across central and northern Yemen creating equitable trade in cultivating and hand harvesting specialty coffee from some of that country’s highest altitudes.
Qima Coffee, whose goal is to rebuild Yemen’s specialty coffee industry, donates 10% of its annual profits to education and agricultural projects through their Qima Foundation.
"Qima Coffee's partnership with ACE marks a momentous milestone in Yemen's specialty coffee industry,” founder/c.e.o. Faris Sheibani said in a statement announcing the auction. “Sourcing coffees from thousands of smallholder farmers across the country, including many previously untouched regions, we are excited to offer the widest and finest range of coffees ever to have left Yemen's shores."
ACE and Qima Coffee will work together on cupping through nearly 500 micro lots in order to find the highest-scoring producers. ACE will assemble a jury of professional sensory tasters in its Oregon laboratory to analyze lots. Only the highest scoring lots above 85 will be auctioned on ACE’s online auction platform, the organization said.
“Our hope is to partner with farmers and other producers through this new program outside of our Cup of Excellence National Winners auctions and the work that Qima Coffee is conducting is a great match,” ACE executive director Darrin Daniel said.