Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a young Yemeni-American living in San Francisco, discovers that the ancestors of his heritage pioneered the cultivation and trade of Coffea arabica. He abandons his job as a doorman to revitalize Yemen’s ancient coffee industry. Mokhtar travels to the high mountain terraces of his ancestral land, navigating tribal politics and local farming practices to source exceptional beans. His mission coincides with the outbreak of the Yemeni Civil War, forcing him to dodge airstrikes and cross the Red Sea in a small boat to export his first crop.
Readers interested in international trade, immigration history, and artisanal agriculture find this narrative informative. It provides a detailed look at the logistics of specialty coffee production and the geopolitical instability of the Arabian Peninsula. Anyone following the connection between global commodities and regional conflict gains a clear understanding of the risks involved in ethical sourcing. The text offers a factual account of how a single individual bridges the gap between impoverished rural farmers and high-end Western consumer markets.
- Published
- 2018
- Language
- EN
