The transition has led to greater farmer incomes but also declines in food security, biodiversity, soil health, and women’s empowerment. “Khat cultivation in SNNP region has a recent history, although it varies from place to place,” says Dr. Beyene Teklu, a researcher at Hawassa University. “I have remained [a] khat grower because income returns [are] a lot higher than incomes I used to earn from cultivating other food crops combined [in agroforestry],” Aramu told Mongabay. Kefele Roba, a 32-year old mother of six, says women like her are no longer responsible of cultivating, managing and processing subsistence food crops such as the major household food enset, but rather purchase food from the market. “Promising results are obtained that could increase the overall productivity of land by producing additional food crops [that] improve food security of households, without affecting yield of khat,” he added.

Source: Ethiopian News December 13, 2018 02:53 UTC