By Damilola Samuel
Tobacco-leaf production is declining worldwide but continues to rise in Africa, with the continent recording an almost nine per cent increase between 2012 and 2024, according to a new analysis by the World Health Organisation, WHO.
The analysis found that global tobacco-leaf production fell by nearly 19 per cent over the same period, while Africa’s cigarette import bill more than doubled, rising from $833 million to $1.77 billion.
The trend means African countries are producing more raw tobacco for export while simultaneously spending more on imported cigarettes.
“This is not just a tobacco-control issue. It is a health, trade, development and environmental issue,” said Dr Vinayak Prasad, Head of the Tobacco Free Initiative at WHO.
Prasad said tobacco farming exposes workers and their families to health risks, damages the environment and can leave farmers trapped in debt.
Africa accounted for about 11 per cent of global tobacco-leaf production in 2024, with production concentrated largely in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Uganda.
East Africa alone accounts for nearly 90 per cent of the continent’s tobacco-leaf production.
WHO said tobacco cultivation also places pressure on land and water resources that could otherwise support food production and other sustainable livelihoods.
Farmers face several health hazards, including green tobacco sickness, which occurs when nicotine from wet tobacco leaves is absorbed through the skin. They may also be exposed to pesticides and tobacco dust.
The analysis linked tobacco farming to soil degradation, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions generated during the curing process.
In some low- and middle-income countries, children from poor families are also involved in tobacco farming, with some missing school to supplement household income.
WHO noted that tobacco-leaf exports contribute more than one per cent of gross domestic product in only a few African countries, including Zimbabwe and Malawi. The finding challenges the argument that tobacco production is economically essential to most African economies.
The organisation called on governments to support farmers and workers seeking to move away from tobacco production and help them develop alternative livelihoods.
It also urged countries to strengthen tobacco-control measures to reduce the health and economic burden associated with tobacco use and trade.
Under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, countries are encouraged to promote economically viable alternatives for tobacco growers and workers while protecting human health and the environment from the effects of tobacco cultivation.
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