Khat: Adaptive Community Resilience Strategy or Short-Sighted Money Maker?

摘要

Khat (Catha edulis) is a perennial bush originating in East Africa. This shrub's leaves and twigs are sold in East African and Middle Eastern markets for their narcotic effect. Khat has become an exceedingly popular topic in both the health and policy arenas, with a growing body of literature related to cardiovascular and oral health, mental health and cognitive processes, and monitoring and policy related to khat. However, there has been relatively little research on khat's association with food security, which is foundational to human health and well-being, or its place in the agrifood system. Furthermore, research linking khat to validated cross-cultural measures of food security is nonexistent. The majority of studies contextualizing khat production in terms of food security focus on khat's displacement of food crops. This study surveyed 115 farmers in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Data revealed khat to be positively associated with food security. However, there is reason for caution given the documented potential for poor health outcomes related to khat consumption and the heavy reliance on irrigation for intensive khat production, combined with the unregulated nature of water withdrawals in Ethiopia. Poor health and degradation of water and soil resources are key vulnerability pathways in community resilience.