Tobacco farmers have rejected the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s proposals to reduce hectarage for the tobacco crop and withdrawal of technical and financial support for the golden leaf. Zimbabwe Tobacco Association (ZTA) chief executive Rodney Ambrose said the proposals would negatively affect the tobacco industry and lead to massive job losses.
This followed WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)’s recommendations to suspend financial and technical support to the farmers and the dismantling of all tobacco bodies connecting growers with governments. WHO also urged the regulation of tobacco growing seasons and the reduction of the area allocated for tobacco farming.
But Ambrose said: “By suggesting to governments to phase out tobacco growing, these ideological recommendations put the jobs of more than 30-million farmers globally at risk without providing them with any economically viable alternative crop. “WHO has consistently refused to listen to tobacco growers in drafting the proposals that directly impact Africa’s farmers. “By doing so, they act like a blind man driving a steamroller without paying any attention to the consequences of their folly.”
According to ZTA, FCTC’s proposals were designed to force tobacco growers out of business by creating artificial restrictions on tobacco supply, while failing to address growing demand for the crop. “Now is the time for governments to act and oppose these draconian measures,” Ambrose said. Currently, there is an international online petition aimed at rallying governments worldwide to oppose the measures. ZTA also said FCTC’s proposals known as “articles 17 and 18” would be discussed at the Conference of the Parties 5 (COP 5) in Seoul on November 12 this year.
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