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In World No Tobacco DayWHO urges governments to stop subsidizing tobacco growing and support more sustainable crops that could feed millions.
“Tobacco is responsible for 8 million deaths a year, yet governments around the world spend millions supporting tobacco farms,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By choosing to grow food over tobacco, we prioritize health, preserve ecosystems, and strengthen food security for all.”
More than 300 million people around the world face acute food insecurity. Meanwhile, more than 3 million hectares of land in more than 120 countries are 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 cultivation by exaggerating its economic benefits, and lobbying through farm front groups.
Tobacco cultivation causes disease to the farmers themselves and it is estimated that more than 1 million child laborers work on tobacco plantations, losing the opportunity to receive an education.
“Tobacco is not only a massive threat to food insecurity, but also to overall health, including the health of tobacco farmers. Farmers are exposed to chemical pesticides, tobacco smoke and as much nicotine as is found in 50 cigarettes, leading to diseases such as chronic lung conditions and nicotine poisoning,” said Dr. Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion of the WHO.
Tobacco cultivation is a global problem. So far, the focus has been on Asia and South America, but the latest data shows that tobacco companies are expanding into Africa. Since 2005, there has been an increase of almost 20% in tobacco-growing land in Africa.
WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program support the Tobacco Free Farms initiative which will help more than 5,000 farmers in Kenya and Zambia to grow sustainable food instead of tobacco.
Every year, World No Tobacco Day honors those who make a difference in tobacco control. This year one of the laureates, Ms. Sprina Robi Chacha, a Kenyan farmer, is being recognized for not only switching from growing tobacco to protein-rich beans, but also for training hundreds of other farmers on how to do this for 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”. One crucial way that countries can meet this obligation is by ending tobacco growing subsidies and supporting healthier crops.
By choosing to grow food over tobacco, we prioritize health, preserve ecosystems and increase food security.
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