Single individuals, groups, countries or the international community can all, on different levels, help tackle the issues involved in the cultivation of tobacco. It is time to act- here we suggest a few ideas.

Improving living and working conditions

Just a few measures can bring about susbstantial improvements in the living and working conditions of the tobacco growers.

• Contract transparency between tobacco companies and tobacco growers
• Basic rights for labourers working on tobacco plantations (e.g. written contracts, clean drinking water, appropriate wages)
• Better information on health hazards, protective clothing and personal hygiene
• Reforestation of cleared land with native tree species
• The payment of higher prices for raw tobacco

The tobacco industry should be made liable for financing these measures. Companies should however not be involved in the actual execution of the projects, so as to ensure that these are not misused for advertising purposes.

Only phasing-out can help in the long-run

The prospect of a future beyond poverty and dependency will only be possible if tobacco growing is completely phased out. To get started in this process, tobacco-growing states should:

• support debt reduction measures for tobacco growers
• initiate projects that promote the cultivation of alternative crops
• encourage the search for- and creation of- alternative sources of revenue

The support pledged by the international community through the FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) will be greatly needed by countries with a strong dependency on tobacco exports such as Malawi.

At present, there are already projects that aim towards a phasing-out of tobacco and which are being successfully implemented in several countries.