Tobacco Control in Africa - TCA

Coronavirus drives Malawi tobacco farmers to the brink

By Jack McBrams for AFP.

What about African children working in tobacco fields?

WNTD 2020 is centered exclusively on the risks posed to children by smoking tobacco and how the tobacco industry targets them as future customers. But what about the children the tobacco industry exploits at the very beginning of the process, in the tobacco fields? Once more they are completely ignored :(

Here is a 2019 dossier published in the magazine Geographical about Child Labour and the tobacco industry. Also this article in The Guardian by Sara Boseley in 2018 ("supported" by Vital Strategies) or this 2014 article. On November 1, 2019 the US suspended its imports from Malawi.
Plus a lawsuit filed against BAT here and as told in The Guardian. Even more recent, this article about 'Shifting from tobacco growing to alternatives in Malawi?".

 

Malawi turning to Marijuana farming after tobacco demand dwindles

Malawi is set to become the next African country to legalize marijuana farming in a bid to boost its economy. This comes as its major foreign exchange earner tobacco starts to see the impact of a decades-long global anti-smoking lobby led by organizations including the World Health Organization and other African based tobacco control organizations.

World Day Against Child Labor

Courtesy of the Tobacco Industry.

Children working in tobacco fields in the US

An investigation about how children work in tobacco fields in the US in The Nation.

Tanzania: Dar Es Salaam eyes Chinese tobacco market

From the Daily News.

Malawi, Tanzania: Japan Tobacco International celebrates its reforestation program

From the JTI website.

Malawi: From tobacco growing to fish farming

This inspiring story from the Nyasa Times.

Zimbabwe: News about the tobacco growing situation

From The Herald, an official point of view that points to some problems.

ITGA and COMESA about tobacco production ban and sustainable alternative crops

The International Tobacco  Growers’ Association (ITGA) has welcomed the Common Market for Eastern  and Southern Africa (Comesa) decision to oppose the total ban of tobacco  production without offering sustainable alternative crops. From Zimdiaspora

Zimbabwe: Mugabe’s Seized Farms Boost British American Tobacco Profits in Zimbabwe

A well researched investigation by Brian Latham for Bloomberg News.

Source: Bloomberg

Tanzania: Opening of the annual general meeting of the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA)

Supposedly in defense of the interest of the tobacco farmers: ITGA.
Source: ippmedia.com  (about IPPMedia)

IDRC and tobacco control in Africa?

Visiting the IDRC's website I had found two projects concerning alternatives to tobacco growing in Kenya and in Zambia (see below). Here is a report by Dorcas Kiptui about Kenya . I did not find any information about the external evaluation report but I received a quick answer after an e-mail inquiry, providing me with the adequate link to the report. I found the content of the report disappointing but I did not have high expectations. What is IDRC doing now in Africa, beyond the two projects mentioned above, remains unclear. What happened (for instance) to the Rapid Response Fund project?

Kenya: What is it like to be a pregnant woman farming tobacco?

A short video by Marty Otanez. Produced with the support of Women for Justice in Africa and the International Labor Rights Forum.

Malawi: tobacco versus development

In the FCA bulletin 110 (page 4) Laura Green (Berlin) and Marty Otanez (Denver) sign a very interesting article about the situation in Malawi and how to develop effective strategies to help exploited tobacco farmers.

Picture credit Marty Otanez

ITGA continues its propaganda, admits to receive some "support" from the tobacco industry

The propaganda continues while COP4 is approaching. ITGA did not say what type of "support" they were getting, how much they receive from the tobacco industry. The admission is at the very bottom of the text.

Source: Reuters

Zambia: the government against the implementation of the FCTC

It looks like they signed it to lobby from the "inside" against the implementation of the FCTC treaty.

Source: The Zambian Chronicle

Uganda: tobacco farmers are cutting too many trees

interesting article by Ibrahim Kasita on the New Vision site who echoes Lutgard's recent speech about deforestation caused by excessive tree cutting to provide fuel to cure their products. Several districts in the West Nile region plan to make by-laws to protect the forest and and make tree planting compulsory.

Lutgard Kagaruki's acceptance speech of the 2010 WHO Award

Lutgard delivers a very interesting speech (Google Doc) focusing on the fate of tobacco farmers and how they can develop alternative crops along with a detailed analysis of the tobacco industry strategy.

Tanzania: Lutgard Kagaruki officially presented with her WHO WNTD 2010 Award.

Lutgard is Executive Secretary of the Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum. Here is how she tells the story: The WHO WNTD 2010 Award was presented to me yesterday 29^th September 2010. It was a very colourful ceremony with more than 250 health experts, development partners and other government officials who had gathered for the Joint Annual Health Sector Review Main Meeting. Family and TTCF members also attended. The Health Minister presented the award after a brief introduction from the WHO country rep.

The report from The Guardian and Lutgard's Acceptance speech.

FCA answers to the claims of ITGA

According to FCA, the proposed regulation of flavours for tobacco products does not represent a risk for burley: cigarettes containing burley continue to be sold in countries with strong regulation on flavourings.

Diversification for tobacco growers: Is bamboo a solution?

IDRC funded several grants (phase 1, phase 2) to study the possible use of bamboo to replace tobacco. Tobaccotobamboo.org (not tobaccotobamboo.com) is a site devoted to present the research taking place in Kenya. TCA is trying to obtain an update as its results now take a special importance in the context of the present controversy with the International Tobacco Growers Association.

ITGA (International Tobacco Growers Association) against implementation of articles 9, 10, 17 and 18 of FCTC

ITGA claims WHO is out of touch with the situation of tobacco farmers with a prospective ban of the use of ingredients other than tobacco in cigarette production.

Source: Press Release

Zimbabwe: tobacco122 million kgs sold

Tobacco sales in Zimbabwe have been higher than anticipated. Tobacco sales account for more than 50% of agricultural exports. The english version of the AFP dispatch does not mention, contrary to the French version that in 2000 (the last year before Mugabe's land reforms) tobacco sales were at 236.000 tons.

COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) opposed to FCTC guidelines 9, 10, 17 and 18

From The East African

The COMESA site.

Uganda: how the tobacco farms increase the deforestation

In an article in the East African, Hamina Abdallah describes the gloomy environmental impact of the tobacco farms in Uganda. Apparently BAT declined to comment about those destructive practices.

Child Labour in Malawi's tobacco farms: on UK's TV Channel 4

The reporter Jenny Kleeman writes about the program in her blog. The industry run ECLT Foundation provides its comments. A more detailed presentation written in 2008 by Corpwatch with a comment posted by ECLT. The more things change...

Tobacco Farm Workers in the US: they also protest to change the system that exploits them.

Most of them are undocumented migrant workers. Here the campaign organized by AFL-CIO. The solution: change the system so that farm workers get decent wages and decent working conditions. It also applies in Africa. Thanks to John Polito for mentioning the issue on Globalink's Forum while announcign the protest during Reynolds Shareholders annual meeting.

Child labour in Sub-Sahara Africa: the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)

According to the latest report by IPEC, Sub-Sahara Africa has seen an increase in child labour and has the highest incidence of child labour (1 on 4 children). What is/can be done as far as tobacco is concerned?

Child labor in Malawi's tobacco farms mentioned during Philip Morris annual shareholders assembly

A proposal sponsored by Father Michael Crosby of the Capuchin Order asked for Philip Morris not to purchase from farms where there is child labor. It did not pass but it is a reminder of the importance of continuing to push for the eradication of child labor, mostly driven by the low pay of tobacco workers.

Read the full text of the proposal below.

Malawi: tobacco growers in tears

This article in National News about the low prices paid to tobacco growers.

Malawi: A call to stop child labor on tobacco farms

Auction Holdings Limited Malawi, has called on tobacco farmers to stop using children in their farms.
The company’s General Manager Evance Matabwa said this practice of using children to work in tobacco estates is against international labour laws.
Source: AllAfrica

Zimbabwe: Tobacco Farms in Ruins

Eight years after controversial land seizures, the country’s once-thriving industry continues to decline.
Source: Institute for War & Peace Reporting

PR from the Tanzania Cigarette Company, a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco

Focusing on new curing barns and supporting reforestation. How much is true and effective?
Source: AllAfrica

Child labour and trafficking in Malawi

From this article.
Source: Nyasa Times

Uganda tobacco farmers win suit against BAT

BRITISH American Tobacco Uganda (BATU) has been ordered to pay over sh3b to tobacco farmers as compensation for failure to buy their crop.
As found on the blog of Jackie Tumwine :)

Interview With Lutgard Kokulinda Kagaruki of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Source: Rendez-vous 166 - May 12, 2007

Thank you Lutgard for taking the time to be with us.
May I ask you to introduce yourself by telling us a little about your personal background (education, professional experience) and when, how and why you got involved in tobacco control?
Lutgard Kokulinda Kagaruki: My name is Lutgard Kolulinda Kagaruki. I hold a MSc & Postgraduate Diploma in Medical and Veterinary Parasitology. I am Principal Livestock Research Officer at the Animal Diseases Research Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.