- Title: [SW Country]( TED Case Studies) - Qat
Trade in Africa
- From:[]
- Date :[10 April 2000]
TED Case Studies - Qat Trade in Africa
for complete coverage see http://www.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/qat.htm
TED Case Studies
Qat Trade in Africa
1. The Issue
 Qat (pronounced cot), also referred to as khat, quatt, kat, and tchat (in
Ethiopia), is a leafy narcotic popular in certain areas of Africa and, more recently,
Britain. Qat, from the Catha Edulis tree, originated in Ethiopia and spread to Kenya,
Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Arabia, the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, South Africa
and Yemen. Yemeni qat is the most often discussed, and reportedly of greater quality than
that from other places. When chewed, qat leaves produce feelings of euphoria and
stimulation. Qat has become a major cultural phenomenon for Yemeni and Somali societies
and has ben the cause of conflict over production and distribution in these countries.
2. Description
Qat (pronounced cot), also referred to as khat, quatt, kat, and tchat (in Ethiopia), is
a leafy narcotic popular in certain areas of Africa and, more recently, Britain.(1) Qat,
from the Catha Edulis tree, originated in Ethiopia and spread to Kenya, Malawi, Uganda,
Tanzania, Arabia, the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, South Africa and Yemen.  Yemeni qat is the most often discussed, and reportedly of
greater quality than that from other places, in part, due to the high terraces on which it
grows in Yemen. Other reports suggest Kenyan and Ethiopian qat is equally good due to the
"loose volcanic soil" found in those countries.(2) When chewed, qat leaves
produce feelings of euphoria and stimulation.
A. Historical Qat Use
In ancient times, qat was chewed by Muslims in lieu of alcohol. Legend also suggests
that qat was used by "religious practitioners as a way of remaining alert for
all-night prayer vigils."(3) Other historical references indicate that, in the 13th
century, physicians prescribed qat to soldiers to reduce fatigue.(4) Qat chewing as a
recreational habit may have begun in the southern Red Sea region prior to the 14th
century.(5) Qat was brought to Yemen over 700 years ago, where it was chewed by
"bored merchants and mystics."(6) Today, qat chewing has a much larger
population. In the 1970s, in Yemen, qat production and consumption was revolutionized with
increased use of cars and roads. Estimates suggest over 90% of Yemeni men now chew qat on
a regular basis, and are equally high for other countries. (Statistics for women vary per
country from 10% to over 60%.) (7) Urban populations, especially women, are more likely to
engage in qat chewing than rural. This is because women in the cities are less likely to
work than women in the country, and even the men in the city are more likely to have free
time than rural laborers and farmers.
Qat contains cathinone, a natural amphetamine which produces a high after prolonged
chewing. In the United States, cathinone is listed as a Schedule I drug, with heroin and
cocaine. However, during the maturation and decomposition of qat, cathinone is converted
to cathine, which is a Schedule IV substance (legal).(8) The conversion of cathinone can
occur as early as 48 hours after the leaves are harvested. As a result, producers of qat
cut the leaves early in the morning to get them to the market by lunch time, when many
Yemeni workers leave work for afternoon qat chewing sessions. 
B. Qat Affects
The effects of qat include alertness, energy and euphoria. While users report clarity
of thoughts and increased concentration, medical practitioners suggest that concentration
and judgement are, in fact, impaired. (9) Qat can also result in increased aggression and
"fantasies of personal supremacy." (10) Further, qat serves as an appetite
inhibitor. Reports vary regarding the use of qat as an aphrodisiac: men report increased
sexual performance, though women disagree.(11) The American Medical Association
Journal reported that qat "makes most men sexually disinclined or
incapable."(12) Long-term use may produce impotence.
Folk medicine prescribed qat for the treatment of malaria and coughs; other doctors
contend that qat contains "anti-acid elements" which have a stabilizing effect
on sugar diabetes.(13) However, generally, there are no medically accepted benefits of
qat. Moreover, qat can have negative effects including constipation, hemorrhoids, hernias,
paranoia and depression. (14) An interesting link has been drawn between qat use and
increased AIDS among prostitutes in Djibouti: one report suggests that men, high on qat,
go to prostitutes and refuse to wear condoms. As a result of the increased aggression
produced by the qat, the women are afraid to deny the men, and engage in unprotected
sex.(15) In 1973, the World Health Organization listed qat as a "dependence producing
drug" implying that users will attempt to get daily supplies to the "exclusion
of all other activities." (16). While the medical community acknowledges the
potential development of a psychological dependence on qat, it is not considered an
addictive drug.
C. Qat Sessions
Qat has become a cultural phenomenon in Yemen, and other African countries. Until 20
years ago, qat chewing was a weekend habit for the rich. Now, it is chewed several days a
week by a large percent of Yemen's population, as well as people in Ethiopia, Somalia and
Djibouti.(17) In the 1970s, U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in Yemen were encouraged to attend
qat sessions as a way of learning about the culture.(18) The social aspect of qat chewing
is as important, if not more so, than the physical high it creates.
In Yemen, work days end between 2pm and 3pm at which time, groups of 10-50 people
convene upon a house to dine and chew. In almost every house, there is a "'mafraj,'
the highest most pleasant room in the house," where qat sessions are held.(19) No
food is served with the qat, only water to help wash the leaves' juices into the system.
Between 100 and 200 grams of leaves are chewed over three or four hours.(20) The leaves
are placed in the mouth and held between the molars and the cheek. In fact, the correct
translation of the verb used in Yemen to describe the act is "storing," not
chewing.(21).
Chewers relax and become intellectually focused. Many users report being creatively
inclined to write poetry. One chewer claimed that "[w]hen my computers go down I can
do two things--send for a repairman or chew qat. You can never find the former so I do the
latter. After a while, I am filled with such resolve I am able, without training or
expertise, to fix the computers myself." (22)
Stimulation from qat can occur with in first 15 minutes of chewing, though the peak
"high" is reached in the third hour. Effects from the chewing can remain up to
24 hours. Following the high, a slight depression, or melancholy, sets in and remains for
a few hours. Tea with milk is often served at the end of a qat session. (23)
Qat sessions are a major part of Yemeni life: participants regard the time spent
chewing qat as productive time, when business deals are arranged, communication is
strengthened and verbal skills are improved. Information and ideas are easily exchanged,
and culturally "desirable behavior" is reinforced. In general, women and men
hold qat sessions separately. Women's qat sessions, with dancing and music, are often more
lively than men's.(24)
D. The Economics of Qat
Prior to the expansion of qat trade, coffee was the biggest crop in Yemen. However,
Yemeni coffee trade peaked in the 17th and 18th centuries and then began to decline from
competition with coffee production in Indonesia, South America, and East Africa. Now, as a
result of national and regional demand, qat is replacing coffee crops. Currently, in
Yemen, estimates suggest one-half to two-thirds of arable land has been cultivated for
qat, largely because farmers earn five times as much for qat as for other crops, including
coffee. (25) In fact, in 1992, qat "held its price, while coffee slumped." (26)
Qat is also Ethiopia's fastest growing export. (27) In Ethiopia, over 93,000 hectares have
been devoted to qat production, the second largest crop in terms of land area (coffee is
first). (28) Though qat cultivation has taken over the arable land because of its value,
as a crop it is "non-nutritious and unproductive."(29)
The replacement of coffee and other crops for qat is detrimental to the economy because
it drains foreign investment. Primarily, only local, regional governments and a growing
market in Britain import qat. Qat is illegal in the United States, Holland and much of
Europe.
Despite the regional parameters of qat trade, an extensive and efficient system of
production and distribution has arisen for the industry. On journalist noted that the
"network of production and distribution is sophisticated, and if ever applied to
something other than qat, Yemen might suddenly find itself in much better economic
condition." (30)
Some argue that qat harms the economy by encouraging laziness and absenteeism: as
workers go to lunch and then engage in qat sessions and do not return. A 1973 estimate
suggests that over 4 billion hours of work a year were lost as a result of qat chewing.
While, today, this claim is widely disputed, in 1967, the Marxist government of South
Yemen attempted to do away with qat because of the laziness it allegedly inspired. With
wide resistance to a total ban, the government placed a heavy tax on the narcotic.
Surprisingly, the people paid the tax and kept on chewing. As a result, by 1985 qat
"ranked first among taxes on agricultural products and second among all excise
duties," in increasing revenue. (31)
Qat is also cited as part of the problem for the economies of Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti
and others in part because, statistics suggest, nearly every family spends one third of
its disposable income on qat. In 1993, the average family income in Yemen was $700 a
year.(32) Qat can cost up to $20 per person a day; in 1992, the LA Times reported
that Yemeni's spend an estimated $2 million a day to consume qat.(33) Ultimately, the
"crux of the matter is that people do not pay as little as they can [for qat], but as
much as they can afford.(34)
A further problem with qat is the "mafia-like" control over production and
distribution. "Those who produce qat and those who grow it are so powerful that
nobody would start campaigning against it. . . like the mafia in Italy or cocaine. . .in
Colombia." (35). For example, in 1983, Somali president Siad Barre banned qat and
called for food crops. However, the ban was repealed in 1990, apparently after the qat
trade had been taken from the border-controlling Ysaaq clan, and placed in the hands of
his administration, triggering accusations that such a transfer of control had been the
intent of the ban in the first place. (36)
Somalia only produces enough qat for local, rural use. During the civil conflict in
Somalia, warlords controlled the import and distribution of qat. Much of Somali qat is
imported from Yemen and Ethiopia. In fact, in 1992, "the value of khat imported [into
Somalia] dwarf[ed] that of any other commodity including food and weaponry."(37) In
1993, the Kenya-Somalia trade in qat equaled approximately $100 million annually for
wholesalers, transporters and street dealers.(38) Most of the profits made by the warlords
were invested in banks abroad, e.g. Rome, rather than placed back into the local economy.
Further, "[r]elief workers and U.S. diplomatic sources speculate[d] that food and
fuel [were] looted and sold for more khat, rather than" dipping into existing
profits.(39) Finally, it was reported that stolen relief supplies were sold to merchants
by the militias to purchase qat. (40)
One final note on the economics of qat trade relates to the potentially violent
political environment. In Somalia, three boys were assassinated on an air strip over 15
pounds of qat.(41) In Yemen, increased production of qat brought attempts to steal it.
"A considerable percentage of the violent deaths in [Yemen] result[ed] from theft,
and in the absence of efficient police forces, guarding the fields has become one of the
significant costs of the qat farmer."(42)
E. The Environment of Qat
Qat is a relatively uncomplicated crop. It has long periods of harvesting and,
in contrast to coffee, is harvested in small quantities throughout the year (qat cannot be
accumulated as it loses its potency within 48 hours of picking).(43) Further, it does not
require fertilizer and thrives when interplanted, with legumes, peaches, papayas, limes,
citrus or banana crops.(44) Qat is an unsteady crop in Africa in terms of its dependence
on rainfall, and the fluctuations associated therein.
Qat's dependence on water has facilitated technological advancements in the areas when
qat is grown (especially Yemen). Irrigation systems, among other forms of water
technology, have sprung up in the area. "Qat is [also]. . .financing most of Yemen's
groundwater development."(45) This could actually be a benefit to Yemen, with the
water scarcities inherent in the region.
Environmentally detrimental effects of qat may include soil erosion. Though qat does
not need fertilizer, it does remove "considerable amounts of plant nutrients from the
soil."(46) While there is little evidence of qat cultivation as a cause of soil
erosion, it is certainly a possibility because of the number of new qat crops being
planted and the re-cultivation of other cropland for qat production. Further, as
mentioned, the expansion of the qat trade was influenced by (and contributed to)
development of roads and introduction/expansion of motor vehicles to remote areas of the
African nations examined herein. While it may be unfair to suggest these nations were
better off without such technology, environmentally speaking, this may be the case. Road
construction and auto-pollution could have severe impacts on the local environment and
habitat. Qat trade continues to be served by being able to reach city markets in a timely
manner, before the leaves lose their potency. As the demand increases, so will the methods
by which qat is transported. Daily, qat is flown into Somalia, Djibouti and regions in
Ethiopia, among other nations. The construction of airstrips, and the control of the
flights importing qat, was an area for conflict in Somalia, and may be so for other
nations.
F. Conclusion
Advocates of qat contend that Yemenis are not lazy, there is just not enough work to be
done. Opponents have issued a request to the government to extend the work day in an
effort to reduce qat consumption. However, at this point, economically, these nations are
now nearly dependent on qat trade. Demand seems on a stable increase, suggesting it may be
a good market to be in. But critics express concerns that these poverty-stricken nations
in Africa are trading most heavily in a non-food non-international product. The nations
are not actively working their way out of debt with qat, but seem to actually be
propelling themselves further into the hole. As they continue to lose their share of the
coffee market, they will coincidentally lose their share of foreign investment and
currency. Further, the reckless pursuit of qat may lead to soil erosion and destruction of
other natural habitats to facilitate and expedite the transport and distribution of qat.
Finally, the politically unstable nature of these nations and the emerging qat-cartels,
especially in war-torn nations like Somalia, give rise to concerns of potential violent
conflict over production and distribution of qat.
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