70% of the world’s tobacco comes from 9 countries: Brazil, Bulgaria, Greece, India, Italy, Malawi, Turkey, the US, and Zimbabwe⁹.

However, only a few of these countries gain any real profits from growing tobacco. This is because Western tobacco companies pay very low prices for the tobacco grown in the South.

In 1998 tobacco growers made about 2 cents for each US dollar spent on a pack of cigarettes, while the cigarette companies made about 49 cents. Since then, the tobacco growers’ share has shrunk even further, while the cigarette companies’ share continues to grow¹¹.

Growing tobacco actually contributes to poverty in many under-developed countries. Money and land get used for growing tobacco, instead of food and other basic needs.

Case Study: Malawi¹²
In Malawi Africa, intensive tobacco farming started in the central region of the country. This area is now bare. Now tobacco growing has moved into the north and this area is also being severely deforested.

The Government of Malawi is actually encouraging people to grow tobacco as part of the Poverty Alleviation program. But, there is no control over where it is grown.

And because food crops do not make as much money as tobacco, thousands of Malawian farmers have been moved off their land to make way for large tobacco estates.

Our Message:
Cigarettes are not only bad for you; they also contribute to poverty, famine and deforestation.