A Yemeni man chews a wad of qat. Sana'a, 2008.

Qat is said to have been discovered by a farmer and his goats some 700 years ago. Since then, it has been cultivated in the highlands of Yemen, where it is now the country’s main domestic product, and eastern Ethiopia, where it is coming close to outshining coffee as a major source of income. Awadai, 2008.

For hundreds of years, people chewed qat during long nights of prayer and meditation to forge a divine connection with God. Today, it is still used by the devoutly religious, especially Muslims, but most reject the notion that the plant has spiritual properties. Awadai, 2008.

Ethiopia’s eastern city of Awadai is the hub of the international qat trade. Here, farmers sell their qat and buyers ship thousands of pounds off to Somolia, Djibouti, and Britain. In a country where the average income is $160 a year, tens of thousands of dollars change hands here every day. In 2003, Ethiopia earned $58 million from qat, representing 13% of its export earnings. 2008.

In the morning, the main qat market in Awadai fills with people buying and selling the stimulant for domestic use. 2008.

Men bundle qat to be shipped to Somalia. Qat has to be consumed fresh, so people use the cool hours of the night to frantically bundle freshly cut sprigs and ship them off to Somolia, Djibouti, and Britain before the harmful rays of the sun can touch them. Thousands of pounds of qat leave the nearby airport in Dire Dawa every morning. Awadai, 2008.

A man stands on top of one of many trucks overflowing with qat waste from Awadai's daily market. 2008.

Women and children collect qat stems outside of a packaging room to use for firewood and goat feed. Some sell one meter square bundles for around 20 cents each. Awadai, 2008.

Coffee once made up 65% of all of Ethiopia's exports, but with coffee prices plummeting and little government protection for farmers, many have switched to qat cultivation. Awadai, 2008.

Yemeni men sit around for a qat session in Yemen. More than anywhere else, qat is central to social life in Yemen. Men and women chew separately to joke, discuss politics, and make business deals with their friends and colleagues. Wadi Dhar, 2008.

A boy chews qat while repairing a jambiyyas, the traditional dagger worn by Yemeni men. Jambiya sellers have a reputation for chewing the most expensive qat while they work. Some of their daggers go for thousands of US dollars, especially those made out of poached rhinoceros horn. Sana'a, 2008.

A rural boy waits to bring his qat into the capital, Sana'a to sell. Wadi Dhar, Yemen, 2008.

This shop owner slips into a contemplative melancholy as the rush of qat wears off and they day transitions to night. Sana'a, 2008.