26 May 2023 – On World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) urges governments to stop subsidizing tobacco farming and support more sustainable crops that could feed millions.
“Tobacco is responsible for 8 million deaths a year, yet governments across the world spend millions supporting tobacco farms,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By choosing to grow food instead of tobacco, we prioritize health, preserve ecosystems, and strengthen food security for all.”
More than 300 million people globally are faced with acute food insecurity. Meanwhile more than 3 million hectares of land across more than 120 countries are being used to grow deadly tobacco, even in countries where people are starving.
A new WHO report, “Grow food, not tobacco”, highlights the ills of tobacco growing and the benefits of switching to more sustainable food crops for farmers, communities, economies, the environment, and the world at large. The report also exposes the tobacco industry for trapping farmers in a vicious cycle of debt, propagating tobacco growing by exaggerating its economic benefits and lobbying through farming front groups.
Tobacco farming causes diseases to the farmers themselves and more than 1 million child laborers are estimated to be working on tobacco farms, missing their opportunity for an education.
“Tobacco is not only a massive threat to food insecurity, but health overall, including the health of tobacco farmers. Farmers are exposed to chemical pesticides, tobacco smoke and as much nicotine as found in 50 cigarettes – leading to illnesses like chronic lung conditions and nicotine poisoning,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO.
Tobacco growing is a global problem. The focus has so far been in Asia and South America, but the latest data show tobacco companies are expanding to Africa. Since 2005, there has been a nearly 20% increase in tobacco farming land across Africa.
WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme support the Tobacco Free Farms initiative that will provide help to more than 5 000 farmers in Kenya and Zambia to grow sustainable food crops instead of tobacco.
Every year World No Tobacco Day honours those making a difference in tobacco control. This year one of the Awardees, Ms Sprina Robi Chacha, a female farmer from Kenya, is being recognized for not only switching from growing tobacco to high protein beans, but also training hundreds of other farmers on how to do this to create a healthier community.
182 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control have committed to “…promote economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers and growers”. A crucial way that countries can fulfill this obligation is by ending subsidies for tobacco growing and supporting healthier crops.
By choosing to grow food instead of tobacco, we prioritize health, preserve ecosystems, and increase food security.
Recommended readings
- Stop tobacco industry exploitation of children and young people
- TOBACCO CONTROL RELATED READING MATERIALS
- The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
- The National Anti-Tobacco Communication Campaign Strategy for Nepal Tobacco Product Pictorial Health Warning Directive 2071
- Tobacco Products (Control and Regulatory) Act, 2068 (2011)
- The National Anti-Tobacco Communication Campaign Strategy for Nepal
- Nepal: The Economic Case for Tobacco Control
- Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2030 Strategy:Nepal
- The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
- World No Tobacco Day 2019 : “Tobacco and Lung Health”
- Thailand becomes first in Asia to introduce tobacco plain packaging
- Resolutions of 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT12)
- APACT 12th Youth Vision: Choose Youth Not Tobacco!
- ”Tobacco Breaks Hearts” World No Tobacco Day 2018
- Ministry of Health to be made tobacco-free zone
- WHO issues new guidance on tobacco product regulation towards maximum protection of public health
- Tobacco Control Convention Strategy-2030 launched
- World No Tobacco Day (Presentation)
- Sri Lanka has been selected to receive dedicated international support on tobacco control
- Online Certificate Course on Smokeless Tobacco
- World No Tobacco Day 2012
