Qat in Yemen Towards a Policy and Action Plan August 2000 Christopher Ward and Peer Gatter Country Department III Sustainable Development Department Middle East and North Africa Region Document of the World Bank Quote: C. Ward & P. Gatter (2000): Qat in Yemen – Towards a Policy and Action Plan. Document of the World Bank, 108 pp. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. Preface Executive Summary....................................................................................................i-xiii Preface.................................................................................................................................................. 2 Executive Summary i-xiii .................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 Origins of the Qat Plant........................................................................................................................ 1 The History of Qat Use ......................................................................................................................... 2 Qat and Coffee ...................................................................................................................................... 3 2. QAT IN YEMENI LIFE....................................................................................................... 4 Consumption Levels .............................................................................................................................. 4 Factors Influencing the Recent Spread of Qat Use............................................................................... 5 What Happens in a Qat Chewing Session............................................................................................. 6 Sociology of Qat Sessions ..................................................................................................................... 8 Qat and Women..................................................................................................................................... 9 Qat and Income..................................................................................................................................... 9 Qat and Wealth ....................................................................................................................................12 Yemeni Views of Qat ............................................................................................................................12 Foreign Views of Qat...........................................................................................................................14 3. III. ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF QAT............................................................................. 14 General Economic Importance ............................................................................................................14 Production Volumes.............................................................................................................................15 Qat in GDP ..........................................................................................................................................15 Profitability of Qat...............................................................................................................................16 Political Economy - Who Benefits........................................................................................................17 Economics of Water Use for Qat .........................................................................................................18 Supply and Demand .............................................................................................................................19 Marketing Systems ...............................................................................................................................20 Grades and Quality..............................................................................................................................21 Trade....................................................................................................................................................21 4. QAT IN YEMENI AGRICULTURE................................................................................ 22 A. The Farming of Qat ............................................................................................................................ 22 Agronomy.............................................................................................................................................22 Husbandry............................................................................................................................................22 Fertilization and Plant Protection .......................................................................................................23 Crop Characteristics............................................................................................................................24 Harvest.................................................................................................................................................25 Labor Requirement ..............................................................................................................................25 B. QAT AND WATER ................................................................................................................................. 26 Crop Water Requirements....................................................................................................................26 Qat and Water Use...............................................................................................................................27 Qat and the Environment .....................................................................................................................28 C. QAT AND FARMING SYSTEMS............................................................................................................... 28 Farmers’ Perceptions of Qat ...............................................................................................................28 Has Qat Displaced other Crops?.........................................................................................................28 Qat Area...............................................................................................................................................29 5. V. IMPACT OF QAT ON HEALTH ................................................................................ 30 A. GENERAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN YEMEN.......................................................................................... 30 B. THE USE OF QAT IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE ...................................................................................... 31 C. PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF QAT .................................................................................... 32 D. PHYSICAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF QAT ................................................................................................... 33 Gastrointestinal Effects........................................................................................................................33 Liver Disorders ....................................................................................................................................34 Oral Effects..........................................................................................................................................34 Cardiovascular Effects.........................................................................................................................34 Urinary Tract Effects ...........................................................................................................................35 Qat and Nutrition.................................................................................................................................35 Maternal Health Effects.......................................................................................................................36 Effects on Sexual Activity.....................................................................................................................37 Effects on Male Reproductivity ............................................................................................................37 Qat and Parasites ................................................................................................................................38 E. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF QAT....................................................................................................... 38 Stimulating Effects ...............................................................................................................................39 Negative Psychological Effects............................................................................................................39 The Gender Difference.........................................................................................................................40 Does Qat Cause Dependence?.............................................................................................................41 F. INDIRECT HEALTH HAZARDS OF QAT ..................................................................................................