A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD

field) committee which is a measurement committee. Its mandate is to measure each farmer
land to deliver a description of his holdings (size of land). This step is realized on demand of
farmers, but free of charge. Then peasants take this small description to WARDO that certify
them, reporting weekly or monthly to Jima’s ZARDO which reports to Oromia Region
Government. This latter sends certification cards back to WARDO giving to farmers (from a
WARDO expert, 30 th June 2009).
Illustration 24: Small scale farmer land certificate
(Bossolasco, 26 th August 2009)
4.3.3) An insight to the <strong>study</strong> area agrarian history
This section exclusively lays on Markakis and Ayele (1978) then Bayon and Placet
(2000) works and aims to give light on the current framework of rural activities:
Ethiopia is historically divided into two distinct regional profiles: North and South 30
.
Roughly speaking, the north sheltered the Christian kingdom whereas the south, where were
found the five Gibe sultanates, under Oromo territories were Muslim territories which have
been progressively conquered at the end of 19 th century by the king of Shewa, then Emperor,
Menelik II. Let us first give a brief insight of north rules to better understand south ones as the
southern mode of production came into being as the result of Amhara conquests and
spoliation during the last quarter of 19 th century:
The foundation of the feudal system was the peasant’s right to a share of land derived
from his membership in the kinship group. Land held under this right was known as rist 31
and
the holder as ristegna. Rist was hereditary, inalienable and inviolable, therefore highly valued.
Ristegna didn’t forfeit his right even through permanent absence from his native land. The
aristocracy and the ecclesiastical hierarchy, not engaged in any productive activity, were
30 Separated by a curved line formed by the Blue Nile and Awash rivers with Addis Abeba at the centre.
31 Amharic.
49