摘要
The aim of the study was to assess the current trend of coffee and khat production as well as the subsequent land use and livelihood change scenario in the area. By so doing, the study tried to identify the impact of both commodities on the socio-economic well being of both the rural and urban communities. These areas, with regard to this particular study, cover all parts of the East and West Harerghe zones of the Oromiya National Regional State, the coffee and khat growing parts of the Somalia and Harari National Regional States as well as the Dire-Dawa Administration Council in Ethiopia. In so doing, the article is partly based on the first hand information gathered especially by the first author during his assigned mission in March 2002 by the institution he was then working for, i.e., Institute of Biodiversity Conservation （IBC）, Ethiopia. The study indicates that on top of other biotic and abiotic stress, ever since the first official appearance of coffee berry disease （CBD） in around 1973, there has been a huge shift in land use from coffee to khat with over 63% of the total coffee land being uprooted and converted into the later. As such, the study points out the fact that if the trend continues to keep unabated, it is very likely that the genetic base of the unique coffee type in the area will be similarly further endangered. On the other hand, the study states that the existing reality on the ground is entirely different from what appears to be true in the development or policy theories. Because of the absence of basic and sustainable options for CBD and other biotic and abiotic hazards prevailing in the area, including on other crops, as well as the absence of a fair trade price for their unique quality coffee at international level, farmers have been obliged to switch and increasingly rely on khat as an alternative God blessed commodity given to their locality. Thus, even though there are growing controversies and/or hasty health and social connotations against khat, it is very unlikely to recover the situation back to the origin so easily, as farmers have already gone far away changes in their way of farming and socio-economic set up, or as stated above in their land use and livelihood circumstances. Before a long-term solution is obtained to solve the multifaceted environmental, social and economic problems and explore other sustainable and socially inclusive alternatives, reckless and hasty restrictions and/or impositions can only be unjustifiable, as they will cause overall socio-economic difficulties to all the communities therein.
