Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Committed to Help Malawi’s Tobacco-Dependent Economy — Here’s How
Feb 11, 2023
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Tobacco has been the fabric of Malawi’s agricultural exports since 1893, making it the most tobacco-dependent economy in the world today. But what was once a cash crop, has now become a liability for Malawians. Tobacco use worldwide continues to fall — from 1.30 billion smokers in 2021 compared to 1.32 billion in 2015, according to a World Health Organization study — as much of the world eschews the unhealthy habit of smoking tobacco. What once helped cultivate a healthy economy has withered in the sun, exposing painful inequities in Malawian life.
As a result, 50.7% of this southeast African country’s citizens live below the poverty line. The poor quality of life for some smallholder farmers in Malawi is, in part, attributed to their dependence on cultivating tobacco.
“The world struggles with the devastating environmental and health impacts of tobacco,” wrote Candida Nakhumwa, Ph.D., vice president and Malawi country director, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW), in an op-ed.
“Malawi has been exceptionally hard-hit: Our overdependence on this crop as a major source of export revenue creates serious structural problems for an undiversified economy that lacks viable alternatives. Tobacco has anchored Malawi’s economy for the last century. Despite tobacco’s huge economic contribution, we should not turn a blind eye to the devastating negative impact tobacco cultivation has had on the long-term performance of Malawi’s economy through deforestation, soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity. Malawi urgently needs to develop and implement an agricultural model that includes diverse exports.”
Dr. Nakhumwa points out that lack of modern technology — including scarcity of fertilizers and quality seeds — coupled with dependence on rainfall and poor access to competitive markets, hamper the nation’s agrarian productivity.
But FSFW and its affiliate, the Agricultural Transformation Initiative (ATI), have a game plan to use their charitable resources to help diversify Malawi’s crops to elevate the country’s farming sector and steer it away from a dependence on tobacco.
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Supports Crop Diversification and Education
The Agricultural Transformation Initiative is spearheading projects and cultivating partnerships in Malawi, where tobacco accounts for more than 60% of the country’s total annual earnings and 13% of the economy as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP). With smokers and nonsmokers slamming the breaks on the habit, global demand for cigarettes has fallen 7.6% and this has had a direct impact on prices for tobacco in Malawi and on farmers’ incomes if they’re unable to diversify their crops.
The World Bank Group reports that in Malawi, “While economic growth increased to 2.8% in 2021, it has remained below pre-pandemic levels. Dry spells at the beginning of the growing season decreased crop yields, and multiple tropical storms have damaged farmland and key infrastructure. In combination with macroeconomic imbalances, the outlook for 2022 remains subdued, with growth projected to decelerate to 2.1%.
“This growth rate equates to shrinking production in per capita terms, meaning economic recovery is projected to be gradual and significant risks remain.”
But FSFW clearly maps a pathway out of the crop issues the country faces.
According to Nakhumwa, “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.” She noted that Malawi can pivot to commodities including legumes, sugar, coffee, dairy and tree nuts like macadamias.
“Malawi 2063, a plan launched in 2021 with the aim of transforming Malawi into a wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper middle-income country by the year 2063, has set up a strategic roadmap delineating how we can achieve inclusive growth and agricultural transformation. It is time to move from rhetoric to action, and the government’s commitment will be measured by how it aligns its budget allocation to the aspirations presented in Malawi 2063.” Nakhumwa advised.
An Educational Approach
In an effort to help Malawi diversify its agricultural sector and reduce the nation’s dependence on tobacco exports, the Agricultural Transformation Initiative Fellowship and Scholarship Fund (ATI FSF) funded 27 scholarships to master’s students and postdoctoral fellows from Malawi. Supported by a grant from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, and administered by the Institute of International Educational, the fund aims to help Malawian scholars explore innovations that will help local and smallholder farmers expand and identify new crops as alternatives for tobacco production.
“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,” says the Foundation’s website. “To address the potential negative agricultural impact of smoking cessation, the Foundation is focused on partnering with academia, agricultural researchers, rural development, and smallholder representatives, private sector and individuals to identify alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers.”
To this end, the Foundation supported an information exchange with professors and students at North Carolina State University’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The event was designed to support the efforts of 15 Malawian postgraduate scholars looking to gain knowledge to contribute to the diversification of agriculture in Malawi when they return to their country.
“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 Scott Kleinberg, FSFW’s director of agriculture programs and partnerships. “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.”
The Road Ahead
Change may never be easy, but since 2018, the ATI has been supporting programs that strive to propel Malawi’s farmers — and population in general — forward with partnerships and programs in conjunction with organizations like the Centre for Agricultural Transformation and MWAPATA Institute.
Writes Nakhumwa, “The CAT is working to increase agricultural productivity and production through investments in science, technology and innovation (STI) along with business incubation and commercialization (BIC). The STI programs have introduced smallholder farmers to new and improved seeds for crops such as soybeans, groundnuts, upland rice, bananas, sorghum, and millet; plant nutrition products such as inorganic fertilizers, organic fertilizers, and plant catalysts; and plant protection products, including herbicides and pesticides. In addition, good agronomic practices have been demonstrated at the CAT’s smart farms. While the BIC is supporting the development of new and alternative markets and innovative financing models for smallholder farmers to support their diversification efforts.
“By helping smallholder farmers appreciate how improved technologies can enhance performance, these are proving to be effective models in facilitating adoption.”
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