Africa tobacco leaf output up 9% as global falls, WHO warns today
WHO analysis shows tobacco-leaf production in Africa rose nearly 9% between 2012 and 2024, even as global production fell almost 19%. In 2024, Africa produced over 639,000 tonnes of tobacco leaf, about 11% of the world total, with output highly concentrated in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Uganda. East Africa alone accounts for close to 90% of the continent's tobacco leaf.
The report highlights serious health risks for farmers and workers, including green tobacco sickness from nicotine absorbed through the skin, exposure to pesticides and tobacco dust, and environmental harms such as deforestation, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions from curing leaves. It also notes children from poor households often miss school to work on tobacco farms, risking their health and education.
Economically, Africa’s cigarette import bill more than doubled from $833 million in 2012 to $1.77 billion in 2024. Tobacco-leaf exports contribute more than 1% of GDP only in a few countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe; for most African nations, the economic gains are limited while health, social and environmental costs remain high.
WHO urges countries to support alternative livelihoods for tobacco workers under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and to align trade and development policies with public health and sustainability goals.
Given these risks, will you support policies that help tobacco farmers shift to safer crops, or consider reducing your own tobacco consumption?