Black cumin was previously highly prized as a therapeutic herb and spice throughout Europe as well, but it was neglected and by the seventeenth century was only seen in beautiful gardens. However, black cumin is undergoing a renaissance in the west, with experts in Europe and the United States now scientifically proving what people in the Middle East have always known.

The seeds of the Nigella sativa plant, which grows in southern Ethiopia, mainly in the Bale area, are of excellent quality. These seeds go by several names: Black Cumin, Kalonji, and Black Seeds. According to reports, the black seed oil is a natural medicine that people use to cure a variety of illnesses, including headaches, back pain, high blood pressure, infections, and inflammation. The oil from the seeds is consistently fresh.

The Bale region farms in the mountain primarily rely on forest products and mixed crop and livestock farming, whereas communities in the midlands and lowlands primarily rely on pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. The rivers that flow downstream from the highlands to the lowlands provide a critical water source for wildlife and populations and farms, particularly those in Ethiopia.