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ITGA Participated in the Public Hearing on Agricultural Diversification and Alternative Crops to Tobacco for the WHO FCTC

The ITGA participated in the one-day public hearing on agricultural diversification and crop alternatives to tobacco in Brasília, Brazil, on the 26th of February 2007.

This hearing took place one day before the first meeting of the ad-hoc study group on alternative crops, following the decision taken by the first Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC.

Public and private-sector organizations and institutions, non-governmental organizations, tobacco farmers' and workers' associations, as well as the tobacco industry were invited to present their views during the hearing, run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 26 February 2007. The initial deadline for submissions, 13th February, was moved to the 20th February.

Presentations during the hearing were based on written submissions accepted in advance and had the duration of 5 to 10 minutes per speaker. A panel composed of members of the interim secretariat, TFI, and Parties to the FCTC moderated the proceedings.

The full list of submissions, 39 in total, is available for download via the WHO website The International Tobacco Growers’ Association submitted, through its Secretariat as well as is member organisations individually, eight presentations that showed – to the extent possible on a maximum of 5 pages and in 5-10 minute slots – a clear and in-depth understanding of the realities of tobacco-growing and the challenges of crop replacement.

Submissions by ITGA member and partner organisations can be downloaded via the links below.

 Afubra (Brazil) (648Kb)

 Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, Inc. (USA) (58Kb)

 Cooperativa Tabacalera Misiones Limitada (Argentina) (40Kb)

 Insituto Algodão Moçambique - Ministério Agricultura Moçambique (Mozambique) (70Kb)

 The Tobacco Association of Malawi (TAMA) (108Kb)

 The Tobacco Institute of India (TII) (2,2Mb)

 The Tobacco Institute of South Africa (TISA) (111Kb)

The ITGA Secretariat’s global presentation, on behalf of tobacco growers world-wide, reads as follows:

 Click here to read the ITGA’s presentation on alternative crops (72Kb)