European Tobacco Growers Worry About the WHO's Last Recommendations on Tobacco That Would Have a Dramatic Impact on the European Growers With no Effect on Consumption

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• Publié par: unitab
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• Langue: English

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European Tobacco Growers Worry About the

WHO's Last Recommendations on Tobacco

That Would Have a Dramatic Impact on the

European Growers With no Effect on

Consumption

PR Newswire

PARIS, June 6, 2012

PARIS

,

June 6, 2012

/PRNewswire/ --

UNITAB, which gathers the 85,000 European tobacco growers and their

400,000 workers, is very concerned about the evolution of the position of a

Working Health Organization (WHO) working group on tobacco (WHO's

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control - FCTC).

In its latest report, the WHO has stepped out of its field of specialisation - health

- into that of agriculture, of which it has no understanding. Its objective, which is

thoroughly irresponsible, is to jeopardize still further the position of the tobacco

growers whose social and economic situation has already been weakened by

the evolution of the CAP.

For instance, the WHO proposes a ban on contracts between raw tobacco

growers and buyers which make farmers "too secure" and the arbitrary

limitation of the size of plantations and cultivation periods.

Even worse, the working group wants to put an end to the policy of quality

improvement which gives European tobacco its comparative advantage and

refuses to promote alternative uses for tobacco.

These measures are excessive and unfair. They would have no impact on the

level of consumption and would contribute to the deterioration of the general

quality of the products. They would also have a very negative impact on the

social-economic situation

of the sector.

"Given this ideological point of view, the contribution of the EU Directorate-

General for Agriculture and Rural Development within the WHO working party is

not valued as it should be, although it is both legitimate and relevant"

regrets

François Vedel, UNITAB delegate secretary.

He then called for a return to agricultural and social realities:

"Before the

November conference in Korea, States and key players must make themselves

heard to counterbalance the single-minded, over-simplified opinions of

pressure groups".

UNITAB is the International Union of tobacco farmers. It represents nearly

85,000 tobacco farmers across Europe.

Press contact: François Vedel, [phone]

- [e-mail]