Understanding coffee farming practices and prospects in Yemen : case study from Bani Matar

Summary

Yemen faces a multitude of conflict-related and structural challenges, as a result, the agricultural productivity has been low. Coffee has been an important subsector and used to be an important source of income for farmers but nowadays coffee hardly generates a profit. Farmers are expanding qat production due to increasing consumer demand and better profits. An expansion of qat production also puts pressure on the scarce water supply in the country. This study provides insight into how coffee is grown and traded and how the sector can be supported for sustainable development and how it can be more attractive to grow coffee instead of qat.