Expert group consultation on alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers and workers

Abstract

Tobacco farming and handling cause serious health and environmental problems. Tobacco farmers and workers constantly face health-related issues of toxicity due to working with tobacco, of which green tobacco sickness is the best known. In addition, they face the adverse consequences of the use of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides in large amounts. Alternative livelihood is a supply reduction measure of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It is related to Article 17, “Provision of support for economically viable alternative activities” and Article 18, “Protection of the environment and the health of persons”. Supply reduction cannot be forced upon farmers; however, alternatives can be explored to improve the health of farmers, reduce tobacco use as a demand reduction measure, and support farmers wishing to switch to alternative crops. Although several economically sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing have been identified through studies in various regions of the world, research and pilot projects in the area of alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers and workers have been limited in the South-East Asia Region. An expert group consultation was held in WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia at New Delhi on 30–31 July 2015 to bring the best practices and scientific evidence in alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers and workers on one platform. The meeting was attended by experts in various fields from Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand and Uganda. (See Annex 1 for the list of participants, and Annex 2 for the agenda of the meeting.)