Yemen’s once-dominant coffee trade in Mocha has a complex history intertwined with ecological shifts and the rise of the Houthi rebels. The port of Mocha controlled the global coffee market for centuries, but its monopoly ended when colonial powers smuggled seeds to other regions. Yemen’s subsequent shift from coffee to the water-intensive crop qat deepened an ecological crisis.
This “hydrological bankruptcy,” with qat consuming over 40% of Yemen’s water resources, is linked to the Houthis’ emergence in impoverished areas. The conflict’s impact is now felt globally, with Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping disrupting the coffee supply chain. Efforts are underway to revive Yemeni coffee farming through “qat-to-coffee” conversion programs.
Source: Down To Earth