SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTION

Abstract

Although the tobacco industry argues that tobacco cultivation can serve as a source of income and a means of decent livelihood for tobacco growers, as well as a contributor to state budgets, the World Health Organization consistently emphasizes that tobacco use (with a particular focus on smoking) is one of the greatest public health threats globally. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, as an international treaty aimed at reducing the demand and supply of tobacco, acknowledges that while countries and governments adopt measures to reduce the demand for tobacco products, they must address the consequences of this reduction on tobacco growers who rely on this crop for their livelihoods. Despite the aggressive campaign against tobacco and smoking, many families still engage in tobacco production as a family business due to the inability to develop alternative ventures, the simplicity of tobacco farming and the need to secure livelihoods and supplement household incomes.