Agriculture and Environment: Tobacco

Introduction

Tobacco is unique from other commodities in that it is totally unnecessary to human sustenance, clothing, or intellectual development. Given the overall health, environmental, and economic impacts of the product, any attempts to reduce its environmental impacts should be seen as short-term activities with an overall goal of eliminating production, at least for human consumption, altogether. Even so, studies suggest that the number of smokers globally will increase for at least the next generation.

Economics, favourable to production
Any shift away from tobacco production must be made with some care. For many farmers - especially small farmers - there are a number of real economic incentives to produce tobacco.

While such farmers may eventually stop producing tobacco altogether at some point in the future, in the meantime they need to understand how to produce it with fewer impacts, if for no other reason than to leave as many agricultural production options open for themselves and their children as possible.

Small farmers, developing countries
At this time, most tobacco is grown by small farmers in developing countries. Most of them grow tobacco as their single, or most important, cash crop. The incentives available from governments and multinationals allow them to make more money growing it than other crops. In developed countries, subsidies and market protection also make tobacco production attractive to producers. These programs will need to be shifted as well.

Ways to minimise environmental impacts
There are a number of ways to reduce tobacco use and its environmental impacts as well as the environmental problems caused by tobacco production, processing, and marketing. The following approaches can help to accomplish a number of these goals.

The first step is to improve monitoring and evaluation of environmental issues associated with tobacco production. Economic alternatives to tobacco production need to be identified and promoted. For example, the existing tobacco contract farming schemes should be used for the production of other products.

Tree planting programs need to be developed and implemented to offset the problems of deforestation associated with the use of wood by the tobacco industry. Health education programs as well as anti-smoking programs should be promoted globally, especially in areas of production.

These should include information about the hazards of second-hand or environmental tobacco smoke, as well as strategies to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke. Fiscal policies to discourage the use of tobacco, such as taxes that increase faster than the growth in income, should be developed and promoted. These will include eliminating incentives that maintain or promote tobacco use. They should also include elimination of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.