Tobacco Growing: Myths and Facts
Myth: Tobacco growing is bad for the environment

Fact
Tobacco grows on 0.25% of the world cultivated land so the size of its production by itself it is not a threat compared to many other agricultural activities. Even in the countries where tobacco is a very important crop, with the exception of two cases, it covers far less than 1% of the cultivated land. Soil degradation destroys the livelihood of growers. The fear of soil degradation is more than adequate incentive for tobacco growers to employ the right techniques, especially rotation with other crops, to avoid damage to the land, which is the main asset of small-scale farmers. In fact, as tobacco is a particularly tough crop that can be grown in harsh conditions, the need for significant amounts of fertilizers is actually reduced compared to other crops. This is also proved by several comparative reports carried out by the FAO. Please check them in our library. Plant protection product (pesticide) use on tobacco is comparable to that of other crops. This is clear from the rates of use on the labels of plant protection products, which are checked by regulatory authorities around the world. Please check our library. Tobacco is particularly resistant to drought. In the overwhelming majority of cases tobacco is rain-fed. On small-holder farms it is always rain-fed. Irrigated tobacco probably is no more than 15% of world production. Even in the case where wood is used as fuel for curing tobacco, in those countries our farmers have considerable tree and bamboo planting schemes to ensure wood is sourced from sustainable sources and does not lead to deforestation. In many countries where burley tobacco is grown, farmers adopt live bars, where the pillars of the barn are the trunks of live trees which are purposely planted at appropriate distance.Myth: Tobacco growing is bad for growers’ health

Fact
Myth: Tobacco growing exacerbates poverty and contractual arrangements trap farmers in a vicious cycle of debt

Fact
Myth: Child labour is a particular problem in tobacco growing

Fact
Myth: Tobacco growing aggravates food security

Fact
There are many economically sustainable alternatives to tobacco farming for small-scale farmers, even in low- and middle-income countries.
