African Farmers United in Opposition to Proposals Threatening Jobs, Economies

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• Publié par: international-tobacco-growers-association-itga
• Nombre de lectures: 11
• Langue: English

Extrait

African Farmers United in Opposition to

Proposals Threatening Jobs, Economies

PR Newswire

LUSAKA, Zambia, May 30, 2012

LUSAKA, Zambia

,

May 30, 2012

/PRNewswire/ --

African tobacco farmers from a cross-section of countries concluded the two-

day International Tobacco Growers Association Africa Regional Meeting today

by issuing a declaration of opposition to the proposals that threaten the region's

jobs and local economies.

The declaration from agricultural leaders from

Kenya

,

Malawi

,

South Africa

,

Tanzania

,

Zambia

, and

Zimbabwe

came in response to draft proposals from

the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC recommends,

among other things, that governments phase out tobacco farming by limiting

the land where it can be grown and endorsing the dismantling of all bodies

relating governments with growers-such as the tobacco boards-thus

puttingfarmers' livelihoodsat risk while failing to offer an economically viable

alternative crop.

Antonio Abrunhosa, chief executive officer of the International Tobacco

Growers Association (ITGA), who addressed the regional meeting today, said at

the close of the conference,"There's now a unified voice throughout Southern

and EastAfrica that's determined to protect the land, the jobs, and the

communities sustained by tobacco farming." The ITGArepresents more than 30

million tobacco farmers around the world.

African tobacco farmers provide a stable living for millions of people

throughout the region and their crops are a vital source of foreign revenue for

many of these countries. For example, in

Malawi

7 out of 10 workers are either

directly or indirectly employed by the sector and tobacco represents 70% of its

foreign exchange earnings and 15% of total GDP.

Francois van der Merwe, chairman of ITGA Africa Region, said the unified voice

of these farmers affirms the defence of their right to grow tobacco and the

crucial role it plays in the region's economy. "These farmers are prepared to

stand up to this 21st century imperialism from a body comprising mainly health

officials who are out of touch with the farming sector and who are putting our

economy at risk."

Jorge Nestor, the Argentinean President of ITGA reaffirmed the unshakeable

support of tobacco growers from all over the world to the Africans growers and

their unanimous decision to defend the right to produce the crop that better

assures their economic prosperity.

http://www.tobaccoleaf.org/ - Please visit the ITGA website for the full

Declaration.

The ITGA is a non-profit organization that works to advance the cause of

millions of tobacco farmers to the world. It strives to provide a strong collective

voice on an international and national scale in order to ensure the long-term

security of tobacco farming communities.