African Growers Oppose FCTC Farming Plans

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter Magazine 06/01/2012

Representatives of African tobacco farmers concluded a two-day International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) Africa regional meeting yesterday by issuing a declaration of opposition to proposals that threaten the region's jobs and local economies, according to a PRNewswire story. The declaration by agricultural leaders from Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe came in response to draft proposals from the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC recommends, among other things, that governments phase out tobacco farming by limiting the land where it can be grown and endorsing the dismantling of all bodies linking governments with growers, including tobacco boards. Such developments would put farmers' livelihoods at risk while failing to offer an economically viable alternative crop. "There's now a unified voice throughout Southern and East Africa that's determined to protect the land, the jobs, and the communities sustained by tobacco farming," said Antonio Abrunhosa, chief executive officer of the ITGA, at the close of the conference. The ITGA represents more than 30 million tobacco farmers around the world. African tobacco farming provides a stable living for millions of people throughout the region and their crops are a vital source of foreign revenue for many of the countries. In Malawi, seven out of 10 workers are either directly or indirectly employed by the sector and tobacco represents 70 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings and 15 per cent of GDP. Francois van der Merwe, chairman of the ITGA's Africa region, said the unified voice of the farmers affirmed the defence of their right to grow tobacco and the crucial role it plays in the region's economy. "These farmers are prepared to stand up to this 21st century imperialism from a body comprising mainly health officials who are out of touch with the farming sector and who are putting our economy at risk." Jorge Nestor, the Argentinean President of ITGA was said to have reaffirmed the unshakeable support of tobacco growers from all over the world for the African growers and their unanimous decision to defend the right to produce the crop that better assures their economic prosperity. Enditem