Yemen remains one of the most underdeveloped countries in the Middle East and around the world. In 2009, it was ranked 153 out of 177 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. Economic progress in the country is being hindered by a host of issues including poor governance, weak institutions, terrorism, and social unrest in both the northern and southern parts of the country.
Qat consumption is another major hurdle contributing to the poor performance of the Yemeni economy. Qat or “Catha edulis” is a tree that grows mainly in Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and classified as a drug by the UN and the U.S. Qat leaves are used as a narcotic when chewed to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. Research showed that 70 to 80 percent of Yemenis consume Qat on daily basis and for extended hours, resulting in the loss of millions of work hours and billions of dollars in income and lost opportunity. In addition, Qat limits food production, as farmers use a large portion of agricultural land to plant Qat trees. New reports show that Yemen is severely threatened by water depletion, with so much of it being directed to the irrigation of these trees.
The Yemeni authorities launched a recent campaign to replace Qat trees with other cash crops like coffee trees, wheat, corn and beans. Similar government attempts during the 1970s and 1990s were not successful because of the government’s failure to link farmers with markets to sell their products and become self-sustainable. To avoid failure comparable to these past attempts, the government must help farmers create internal demand for the alternative crops and ensure it profits them in order to prevent a regression back to the lucrative Qat business.
Published Date: August 06, 2009