Amid the global threats of climate change, dwindling tobacco sales, and generational labor gaps in the sector, the International Tobacco Growers' Association (ITGA) is urging every tobacco-growing country to aim to produce sustainable tobacco.

Mercedes Vázquez, chief executive officer (CEO) of ITGA, told Manila Bulletin that sustainability in the industry is not reliant on the amount of tobacco a country can produce, which can easily be doubled annually depending on the growing country's capabilities. 

"It's about, is it possible to produce this tobacco within a sustainable way? Is it possible to undertake all these good practices where the tobacco is sourced for the transparent supply chain, where there is no child labor, where there is no deforestation," said Vázquez. 

"If you cannot produce sustainable tobacco, the long term sustainability of the sector is lost. That opportunity is lost," she added. 

She noted that tobacco regulatory bodies are putting a lot of pressure in the sustainability aspect of the industry. However, aside from regulatory purposes, Vázquez emphasized that "we should naturally aim to produce sustainable tobacco." 

The tobacco-growing sector is collaborating with governments around the globe to fulfill this ultimate objective. 

"Let's help farmers, they need to get their margins, they need to get the income, they need to be supported. And let's get together. So by the end of the day, we are supplying a legal market and we are confident that we are doing it in a sustainable way," said Vázquez. 

Sustainable tobacco entails the whole of tobacco production from beginning until the end product. Vázquez highlighted youth agriculture practices, ample education for farmers on good practices, and avoiding child labor. 

Concerning child labor, the ITGA is said to be making a concerted effort to eradicate or reduce child labor practices in the industry, but she recognized that this process is not easy. 

"Tobacco farming was a family business. And it still is in many places, you know. So we also need to understand what is inherent to each place. And we cannot do this transformation from the family farming thing, and all the pressure we are getting from regulation overnight," said Vázquez. 

Difficult transition

"Grow food, not tobacco" was the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) last May. That statement in itself, according to Vázquez, is easier said than done. 

"The only thing that they are not considering is what is the possibility for the tobacco growing countries to replace tobacco with food crops, and in most cases it is not possible. You know, growers cannot just jump from growing tobacco because tobacco in many places is the main cash crop,” she said. 

She remarked that a quicker transition would be possible if there was already a market put in place for tobacco-growing countries to grow and sell food. However, she observed that many countries are not ready for an industrial overhaul since the labor and amount of investment in food crops compared to tobacco are vastly different. 

"We are not saying that the tobacco growers should not look into food crops, but the opportunities have to be put there for them to do so," she said. 

Vázquez mentioned Article 17 on alternative crops within the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), but she lamented that the international organization "have done nothing to help governments, help growers take on other crops rather than tobacco." 

"Instead of sending this message, putting tobacco as the enemy of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they should listen to growers. They should work with tobacco growing countries, governments to understand the realities of tobacco. It's not easy for the tobacco grower just to lift tobacco and do something else. That is not a realistic scenario right now," she said. 

As the only worldwide tobacco growers' association founded since 1984, the ITGA's networks, Vázquez said, are continuously cooperating with tobacco-growing countries to empower their industries, help them meet regulatory requirements, and find solutions to the challenges the sector is facing. 

Women in tobacco industry 

Sudden transformation of the tobacco industry is impossible, but one way in which the sector is trying to improve upon its practices, especially in terms of labor, is highlighting the role of women in the industry. 

Vázquez said it's not about bringing more women in the industry since a high percentage of women are involved in the tobacco production from beginning to end, but recognizing their work in the tobacco process, which they have to balance with their duties in the household. 

Even though they play a significant part in keeping and leading the family business, they are still excluded in the final or top financial decisions and processes. 

"It's like putting them in this top level where they also have decisions, they have this power to also handle the money, let's put it that way. So what we're doing is trying to bring them from that shadow where they are right now," she said. 

"They are doing this work. And we're trying to make the industry understand that we need to give them leading positions, not only in between, and this is a top priority for us. I think that will make a big change. If we give them the opportunity, some good initiatives are already taking place," added Vázquez.