Understanding Alternatives to Tobacco Production in Kenya: A Qualitative Analysis at the Sub-National Level

Tobacco policy (in)coherence in Mozambique: an examination of national and subnational stakeholder perspectives

Mozambique ranks fifth on the list of tobacco producing countries in Africa, while also being a Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Tobacco farming is regarded by some governments as a strategic economic commodity for export and remains deeply entrenched within Mozambique's political and economic landscape. This study uses a qualitative description methodology to identify tensions, conflicts and alignment or misalignment in policy on tobacco across government sectors and levels in Mozambique. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 33 key informants from sectors across national and subnational levels including health, agriculture, economic and commercial sectors, as well as non-state actors from civil society organizations, the tobacco industry, farmers unions and associations and individual farmers. Incoherence was present across sectoral mandates, perspectives on industry's presence in the country and regions and between FCTC provisions and informant perceptions of tobacco production as a development strategy. Despite tobacco being viewed as an important economic commodity by many informants, there was also widespread dissatisfaction with tobacco from both farmers and some government officials. There were indications of an openness to shifting to a policy that emphasizes alternatives to tobacco growing. The findings also illustrate where points of convergence exist across sectors and where opportunities for aligning tobacco policy with the provisions of the FCTC can occur.

Foregrounding women and household dynamics to inform Article 17: a qualitative description analysis of tobacco farming households in Mozambique

PURPOSE

This paper examines the intrahousehold dynamics between women and men present in tobacco farming households in Mozambique. Attention to the experiences and realities of the smallholder farmers is crucial for understanding approaches to alternative livelihoods. Intrahousehold dynamics can provide important insights into how these households and their members view tobacco production and engage with the political economy of tobacco farming, how they make decisions, and the rationale and values behind these decisions.

METHODS

Data were collected through single-gender focus group discussions (n=8) with 108 participants (men=57, women=51). Analysis was informed by a qualitative description methodology. This research presents a gender-based analysis examining the perspectives, roles, decision-making processes and desires of female and male tobacco farmers in four key tobacco-growing districts in Mozambique.

FINDINGS

Throughout this paper, women are found to hold leverage and influence in tobacco farming households, and this leverage is in part gained via the necessity of women's unpaid labour in achieving profitability in tobacco farming. Both women and men are also found to strongly desire and pursue the well-being of the household.

CONCLUSION

Women hold agency within tobacco-growing households and participate in decision-making processes regarding tobacco agriculture. Women should be included in future tobacco control policies and programmes pertaining to Article 17.

Tobacco farming and current debt status among smallholder farmers in Manicaland province in Zimbabwe

INTRODUCTION

Zimbabwe is the largest producer of tobacco leaf in Africa and the sixth largest globally. Tobacco leaf is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for about 10% of the country's GDP in 2018.

METHODS

We use descriptive and regression analyses from a face-to-face survey of 381 smallholder farmers in three major tobacco-farming areas in Manicaland province to determine the prevalence of tobacco-related debt and some of its covariates. The survey was conducted in June and July 2019.

RESULTS

74% of respondents are contract farmers and 26% are independent farmers. 57% of respondents indicated that they were in tobacco-related debt. The likelihood of being in tobacco-related debt is significantly more than average for farmers with the following characteristics (holding other characteristics constant): being a contract farmer, having a larger farm, employing only family labour and not recording expenses (as a proxy for financial sophistication). 91% of contract farmers would prefer to be independent farmers, while 63% of independent farmers would prefer to be contract farmers.

CONCLUSION

There is no evidence to suggest that tobacco growing, in its current state, has benefited the tobacco farmers in Manicaland province. Tobacco farmers are largely victims, rather than beneficiaries, of the sector. There is a strong case for government intervention to improve the conditions of tobacco farmers, either through direct intervention in the tobacco-growing sector, or by encouraging and promoting crop substitution.

In-and-Out of Tobacco Farming: Shifting Behavior of Tobacco Farmers in Indonesia

Understanding the variables that affect farmers' decisions as to whether to grow tobacco and/or other crops provides important insights into their economic lives and can help to inform the development and implementation of policies that shape both tobacco production and tobacco control, such as increasing tobacco excise taxes. This study employs complementary quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify variables that affect tobacco farmers' economic decision making in Indonesia, a major tobacco producer. The research focuses on the variables that affect tobacco farmers' decisions to continue tobacco farming or shift to non-tobacco farming. It finds that tobacco farmers' decision making is complex but also predictable. The results of the quantitative analysis suggest that farming profits and positive rainfall shocks are two of the key variables that affect the decision to cultivate tobacco. The qualitative results confirm these findings and further illuminate that access to credit, education (agricultural and otherwise) and information play substantial roles in farmers' economic decision making. Most of these variables are affected by the unequal relationship between the tobacco firms that buy tobacco and the farmers, wherein the farmers are consistently at a disadvantage in terms of negotiating key parameters such as prices and evaluation of leaf quality.