Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Says Its Mission To End Smoking in This Generation Includes Helping Malawi Transition From Its Tobacco-Dependent Economy

First Posted: Mar 15, 2023 03:05 PM EDT
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 Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Malawi Tobacco

(Photo : Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Malawi Tobacco)

For more than 130 years, tobacco has been Malawi's biggest and most lucrative agricultural export. Tobacco farming accounts for 60% of the country's foreign exchange earnings and has historically been the dominant cash crop in the economy. 

However, as people become more aware of the health hazards of smoking, tobacco use is decreasing dramatically. According to a World Health Organization study, the number of smokers worldwide dropped from 1.32 billion in 2015 to 1.30 billion in 2021. With the global demand for cigarettes down 7.6%, prices for tobacco continue to fall.

The ripple effect on Malawi - the most tobacco-dependent economy in the world - can't be understated. "Tobacco has anchored Malawi's economy for the last century," wrote Candida Nakhumwa, Ph.D., the vice president and Malawi country director, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), in an op-ed. FSFW is an independent, nonprofit grantmaking organization dedicated to the reduction of smoking-related harm.

A recent World Bank Group study found that 50.7% of Malawi citizens live below the poverty line - and for smallholder farmers, poor quality of life is directly linked to their dependence on tobacco and subsistence farming. "Malawi has been exceptionally hard-hit," added Nakhumwa. The World Bank Group reports economic growth in Malawi remains below pre-pandemic levels. 

Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Looks To Make a Big Impact

The negative impact of Malawi's reliance on tobacco is twofold. In addition to losing money in the face of tobacco's decreasing popularity and sales, Nakhumwa said deforestation, soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity are also major long-term problems connected to Malawi's tobacco cultivation. "Our overdependence on this crop as a major source of export revenue creates serious structural problems for an undiversified economy that lacks viable alternatives," Nakhumwa wrote.

Foundation for a Smoke-Free World and its affiliate, the Agricultural Transformation Initiative (ATI), have been working with key stakeholders to make lasting changes. Looking at the factors that most hamper Malawi's agrarian productivity levels, Nakhumwa pointed to a lack of modern technology, a scarcity of both fertilizers and quality seeds, and a dependence on rainfed agriculture.  

"Malawi urgently needs to develop and implement an agricultural transformation model that includes diverse exports," wrote Nakhumwa, who suggests legumes, sugar, coffee, tree nuts like macadamias and dairy as some of the alternative commodities. "While diversifying Malawi's agricultural production will be challenging, the positive impact can be huge if the country is able to prioritize production based on comparative and competitive advantages." Notably, ATI's efforts are aimed at both export diversification and import substitution. The latter is to ensure that the scarce foreign currency is spent on commodities that cannot be locally produced in Malawi. 

For many Malawian farmers, growing tobacco is all they know. "There is an understandable comfort as well as a dependency on tobacco farming," Nakhumwa wrote in a June 2022 article on the Foundation's website titled "Malawi Can Move On From Tobacco and Develop a Sustainable Future." She added, "Despite the declining global demand, most smallholder farmers still grow the crop because they are knowledgeable about its production and marketing. It has been a way of life since 1893, when tobacco exports began here. More importantly, limited availability of structured and competitive agricultural value chains also contribute to smallholder farmers continued engagement in tobacco production."

It will take a multifaceted approach to move Malawi away from tobacco. "The next step will be implementing strategies that both consider the current reality and plan for an agricultural future in Malawi that is less dependent on tobacco," Nakhumwa  noted. "This transition will require a collaborative effort from government, tobacco companies, farmers, development partners, nonprofits, academia, the private sector, and civil society. Identifying, developing, and promoting competitive and sustainable alternative agricultural value chains will be critical." 

A Meeting of the Minds

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World and ATI are already working on innovative ways to help drive agricultural diversification in Malawi.

In September 2022, 15 Malawian postgraduate scholars participated in a three-day information exchange to share insight from their studies and gain knowledge from experts and students at the North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences International Programs. 

The Malawi-based scholars are supported by the Agricultural Transformation Initiative Fellowship and Scholarship Fund (ATI FSFW), which provided 27 scholarships to master's students and postdoctoral fellows through a grant from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. The ATI FSF is administered by the Institute of International Education.  The North Carolina State University information exchange event was created to help the scholars contribute to the diversification of their local agricultural ecosystem. 

"The global decline of smoking could have many positive health impacts, but could bring negative economic consequences to tobacco farmers, many of whom are in developing nations," states the Foundation's website. FSFW is partnering with experts in academia, agricultural researchers, rural development, smallholder representatives, and more in a quest to identify alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers. 

According to Scott Kleinberg, FSFW's director of agriculture programs and partnerships, the exchange of ideas at North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences International Programs was a productive one. "It was fascinating to hear about what the 15 Malawian scholars who came to North Carolina State are working on and see their excitement about applying the skills they are acquiring to the challenges Malawi faces," said Kleinberg. "These students are going to go back and be leaders in academia, government, or the private sector, bringing advanced science and methodologies to Malawi, so their agricultural sector can work better.

"FSFW's mission is to end smoking worldwide, and a huge part of that vision involves helping to diversify tobacco-dependent agriculture and economies. The ATI Fellowship and Scholarship Fund is a step in the right direction," Kleinberg said. It's designed to hit very close to home. "This scholarship fund strengthens local agricultural expertise by further developing the skills of promising students from Malawi who want to help increase the opportunities available to smallholder tobacco farmers," said Kleinberg, "[and] to diversify away from tobacco production and improve their livelihoods." 

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