Khat Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Khat

Catha edulis
Conservation status

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Celastrales
Family:	Celastraceae
Genus:	Catha
Species:	C. edulis
Binomial name
*Catha edulis* (Vahl) Forssk. ex Endl.

Khat is a green plant with flowers that grows naturally in warm parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. People also call it by many other names, like qat, qaat, quat, gat, jaad, chat, chad, chaad, and miraa.

This plant is grown for sale in countries such as Kenya, Oman, Yemen, and Ethiopia. Khat is a type of shrub. When farmers grow it, the plants usually reach about 5 meters (16 feet) tall. In the wild, they can grow much taller, up to 20 meters (65 feet)!

Growing and Using Khat
How Khat is Grown
Images for kids
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Growing and Using Khat

Khat farms in Yemen

People in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula have grown khat for hundreds of years. They use it as a stimulant, which means it can make you feel more awake and focused. In Uganda, it grows in the central and western parts of the country. In Kenya, it is grown in Meru County.

Chewing khat leaves was a common practice even before coffee became popular. Its effects are often compared to drinking tea or coffee. People usually chew the fresh leaves and soft tops of the plant. Sometimes, they dry the leaves and drink them as a tea. To make chewing easier, people might chew the leaves with chewing gum or fried peanuts.

Even though most khat chewing happens where it first grew, around the Red Sea, the plant has spread. It now grows in Southern Africa and other warm areas. It likes rocky places and woodlands. In recent years, better roads and air travel have made it easier to send fresh khat to many places around the world.

Bundles of khat seized by the DEA

The World Health Organization (WHO) studied khat in 1980. They noted that it can make people want to use it regularly. Because of its effects, some countries have rules about khat. It is not allowed in places like Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. However, in other countries, it is perfectly legal to grow, sell, and use khat.

How Khat is Grown

Khat fields in western Yemen

Khat is very popular in Yemen. A khat plant needs about seven to eight years to grow to its full height. Besides needing sun and water, khat does not require much care. A large amount of Yemen's farming resources are used to grow it. It is thought that 40% of the country's water supply goes to watering khat plants.

The amount of khat grown is said to increase by 10% to 15% each year. Because so much water is used for khat, the underground water levels in the Sanaa basin are getting lower. This is a big problem for the country. Some government officials have even suggested moving many people from Sanaa to the coast of the Red Sea.

One main reason Yemen grows so much khat is that it brings a lot of money to farmers. Between 1970 and 2000, the land used for growing khat grew from 8,000 hectares to 103,000 hectares. In 2000, the World Bank estimated that khat made up 30% of Yemen’s economy.