Khat Production and Rural Household Food Security

This article examined the contribution of khat production to rural household food security in Igembe South Sub-County, Meru County, Kenya, where khat is deeply embedded in local livelihood systems. Using a cross-sectional household survey, the study analysed how households participate in the khat value chain, how khat proceeds are used to support food security, and how households perceive the importance of khat to their food welfare. The descriptive findings showed that most households used khat income to purchase both food and farm inputs, indicating that khat supports food security through immediate consumption and productive reinvestment. Most respondents also rated khat as important or highly important for household food security. Bivariate ordered logistic regression results showed no statistically significant differences in these perceptions across gender, education, marital status, or primary khat activity. Overall, the study concludes that khat functions as a broadly shared, income-mediated food security strategy, although its longer-term sustainability remains uncertain.