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Environmental Health Impacts of Tobacco Farming: a Review of the Literature

Natacha Lecours
Non-Communicable Disease Prevention program, International Development Research Centre, Ontario, Canada

Guilherme E G Almeida
Alliance for the Control of Tobacco Use, Brasília/DF, Brazil

Jumanne M Abdallah
Department of Forest Economics, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

Thomas E Novotny
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Objective: To review the literature on environmental health impacts of tobacco farming and to summarize the findings and research gaps in this field. Methods: A standard literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases for identification of peer-reviewed articles. The internet and organisational databases were also used to find other types of documents (eg, books and reports). The reference lists of identified relevant documents were reviewed to find additional sources. Results: The selected studies documented many negative environmental impacts of tobacco production at the local level, often linking them with associated social and health problems. The common agricultural practices related to tobacco farming, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, lead to deforestation and soil degradation. Agrochemical pollution and deforestation in turn lead to ecological disruptions that cause a loss of ecosystem services, including land resources, biodiversity and food sources, which negatively impact human health. Multinational tobacco companies' policies and practices contribute to environmental problems related to tobacco leaf production. Conclusions: Development and implementation of interventions against the negative environmental impacts of tobacco production worldwide are necessary to protect the health of farmers, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Transitioning these farmers out of tobacco production is ultimately the resolution to this environmental health problem. In order to inform policy, however, further research is needed to better quantify the health impacts of tobacco farming and evaluate the potential alternative livelihoods that may be possible for tobacco farmers globally.

Keywords: Environment, Health, Tobacco farming

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Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Tobacco

Objectives:

Objective of the study was to review the literature on environmental health impacts of tobacco farming and to summarise the findings and research gaps in this field.

Methodology:

A standard literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, CAB abstracts, GEOBASE, Google Scholar, SciELO and Scopus) for identification of peer-reviewed articles using the search words ‘tobacco farm*’ and environment*, ‘tobacco farm*’ and *forest*, and ‘tobacco farm*’ and health*. The internet and organisational databases and websites (World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Development Research Centre, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance) were also used to identify books, reports, and other grey literature on the topics. The selection of literature was based on a clear reference to the environmental and/or health impacts of tobacco farming.

Source of Information: Tob Control 2012; 21:191-196

Article Link (Online Journal): http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/21/2/191.full

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Achievement/Findings:

The past decades have seen a steady shift of tobacco cultivation from HICs to LMICs, which has allowed multinational tobacco corporations to access cheaper labour resources and to lower their production costs. Because smallholder tobacco farmers in LMICs lack modern agricultural resources, such as advanced curing technologies or mechanised pesticide spraying equipment, their working conditions are more difficult and their practices more harmful to their health and to the environment than tobacco growing in HICs. The available literature on the topic has shown that tobacco cultivation in LMICs is causing environmental degradation and ecosystem disruption due to the intensive use of agrochemicals and the felling of wood for tobacco leaf curing. In turn, these practices have negatively impacted the health of the smallholder farmers through high agrochemical exposure and increased food insecurity. The tobacco industry has responded to these problems by working with agricultural front groups to lobby against tobacco control measures, using the arguments that such measures would hurt farmers and national economies. In addition, this review has shown that, by encouraging the excessive use of harmful agrochemicals and the shifting of tobacco growing into more fertile lands, the tobacco industry contributes to the environmental health impact of tobacco cultivation in LMICs.

The development and implementation of policies that respond to the challenges tobacco farmers face is crucial. However, literature on the negative environmental impacts of tobacco production is limited, and peer-reviewed scientific literature is very scarce. As recommended by Geist and colleagues, a close monitoring of tobacco farming activities is needed at national and international levels to provide data on levels of deforestation and environmental degradation related to tobacco farming.

The grey literature surveyed in this review also revealed many other negative impacts of tobacco cultivation, such as GTS, respiratory problems, child labour, economic exploitation and indebtedness, which also need additional research. Recent research on this topic has shown that smallholder farmers are receptive to shifting out of tobacco production, but that policies and programmes are needed to improve their access to markets for alternative crops. Given the important commercial influence of tobacco companies in the development of policies in LMICs, country case studies and global analyses of the tobacco industry's practices and influence over supply-side and demand-side tobacco control policies are urgently needed.

Knowledge Management: Journal