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

Consequently eviction was rare and no population displacement accompanied this
confiscation. The effect on southern peasants was the realm of tribute. Consequently the issue
of possession remained hazy for several decades. The system imposed in the south
represented an advance over the form of feudalism practiced in the north since the ruling class
enlarged the privileges of gult, progressively eliminating the safeguards associated with rist.
Generally, the landowners congregated in newly established towns that served as garrisons
and administrative centres (as Limu Genet), and had little social intercourse with their tenants
whom they regarded as their subjects.
At the end of 19 th century, during the Abba Jiffar II reign, lands belong to big
landowners (called Abba Lafa in Jima kingdom, which means land master). Those received
their estates from the defeated king who remained the absolute owner. An estate represented
fifteen to twenty hectares, up to forty hectares (one gasha). Land masters employed tenants
(chisanna, which points out the one landless). They were given a little plot, half a fetchassa,
they cultivated keeping all production. They had to work one day per week (the chore) in land
master estate (coffee harvest, transport), and to cultivate a two fetchassa plot for him of which
they kept one third to half production. Tenancy in the north was a minor phenomenon, the
burden of oppressed minorities, especially Muslims 34
. Moreover, land masters could be
absentee land masters; in this <strong>case</strong>, they pointed out a tenant or family member as kapo and
gave him a salary or a supplementary plot of which he kept all production. Abba Lafa also
own slaves. Therefore, a little land proportion was exploited by peasants, from one to three
hectares plots. Those could be land masters’ descendants whose estate got divided. They used
to keep their whole production, and often owned slaves.
Jima kingdom was the exception of the five Gibe sultanates, because the local
leadership allied itself with the invaders and avoided expropriation in return for an annual
tribute.
34 Historically, trade has also been the occupation of minorities in Ethiopia. It became particularly associated
with Muslim communities who were barred from landholding.
51