Most food in Yemen is imported, processed and distributed by a small number of private conglomerates. This paper describes the historical development of the food import trade in a predominantly rural and agrarian country which has undergone a succession of harsh economic and agrarian transitions. These transitions have left Yemenis dependent on markets for food, and pushed many food producers to the impoverished margins of the market.

Food import dependence has increased with each transition, and this dependence has deepened food insecurity. Since the start of the conflict, import restrictions and a foreign exchange crisis in Yemen’s fragmented and under-resourced financial systems have aggravated food insecurity.

This report uses customs and agricultural production data to quantify import dependence in 2020, estimating that four-fifths of available calories are imported. The report argues that Yemen’s large conglomerates need macro-economic stability and access to foreign exchange to maintain this vital supply of imported food.

Smaller retailers and wholesalers, even more deeply affected by foreign exchange shortages, also need support. But support to the private sector is not enough to end food insecurity, the underlying causes of which are the collapse in purchasing power, and the linked decline in domestic agricultural production. In the long term, Yemen’s food producers need support to increase production, build up rural livelihoods, and increase purchasing power across the population.