Eliminating child labour in Malawi: a British American Tobacco corporate responsibility project to sidestep tobacco labour exploitation

Otañez, Martin G.; Muggli, Monique E.; Hurt, R. Douglas; Glantz, Stanton A.

doi:10.1136/tc.2005.014993

Cited by 44 publications

(47 citation statements)

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“…Such research has clearly shown why tobacco production can be understood as a problem in a number of ways that go beyond its detrimental health impacts on consumers. These include its environmental impacts such as deforestation5 and soil degradation,6 its social impacts including child labour7 and the exploitation of farmers by the industry,8 its occupational health impacts on growers and workers,9 10 and its poor returns to farmers 11–13. Such research is crucial in highlighting these issues; however, it can also be limited by the inherent need to problematise tobacco production, a remit that is ingrained in its very approach, and is also evident in the 17/18 document 2…”

Section: Existing Approaches To Researching Tobacco Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving past the problematisation of tobacco farming: insights from South India

Nithya¹

2017

Tob Control

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Section: Existing Approaches To Researching Tobacco Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving past the problematisation of tobacco farming: insights from South India

Nithya¹

2017

Tob Control

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“…Although this issue is not addressed explicitly in the FCTC, it could be turned into a strong argument with regard to tobacco land use policies in Tanzania (Masudi et al, 2001) as well as in probably many other growing countries. On the other hand, it needs to be acknowledged that corporate responsibility projects of the tobacco industry have been extremely successful in sidestepping tobacco labour exploitation, often done in combination with the deforestation issue (Otañez et al, 2006).…”

Section: Barriers and Opportunities For Diversificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tobacco growers at the crossroads: Towards a comparison of diversification and ecosystem impacts

et al. 2009

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a b s t r a c tAn international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has been in force since 2005, also aimed at regulating tobacco farming: FCTC article 17 on diversification, and FCTC article 18 on socio-ecological issues. Relating to the FCTC, information was gained and evaluated from tobacco farmers of growing areas sampled from major world regions (Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil, Tabora/Tanzania, Meinung/Taiwan, and Germany/Europe). A local farming survey was carried out in 2007, using a common data protocol, which covered, among others, questions on area and production development, energy used in curing, workforce, economic livelihood situation, and diversification opportunities. In addition to the survey, secondary (national-scale) statistics, public testimonies and other published data were explored. We analyzed these data using a portfolio approach, which combined statistical analysis, meta-analytical study and descriptive narratives. The projected trend of a global shift of tobacco cultivation into the developing world is confirmed, but also refined. Wood is used in Brazil and Tanzania for curing Virginia green leaf, thus contradicting the projected continuous reduction of this energy source. Child labour remains a major component of family farm tobacco operations in Brazil and Tanzania, while the cost and availability of seasonal labour turns into a bottleneck of production in Germany. More diversification opportunities exist than generally claimed, but no efforts are seen to address poor and vulnerable growers, in particular. German and Taiwanese tobacco growers can reasonably be predicted to discontinue farming in the near future, while tobacco cultivation in Brazil and Tanzania is seen to expand, mainly due to the political economy of low-cost production. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the work of the UN Study Group on Economically Sustainable Alternatives to Tobacco Growing (ESATG), effective since 2007.

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“…This project, ostensibly aimed at the elimination of child labour in tobacco farming, is coordinated and funded by tobacco companies 66. ECLT was created by tobacco companies as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative aimed primarily at improving their perception among elite and public opinion in high-income countries 67. The decision not to participate within it therefore seems fairly straightforward for tobacco control organisations given the industry's misappropriation of CSR 68.…”

Section: Tobacco Control and Development: A Limited Impact On Prioritiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tobacco control, global health policy and development: towards policy coherence in global governance

Collin

2012

Tob Control

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The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) demonstrates the international political will invested in combating the tobacco pandemic and a newfound prominence for tobacco control within the global health agenda. However, major difficulties exist in managing conflicts with foreign and trade policy priorities, and significant obstacles confront efforts to create synergies with development policy and avoid tensions with other health priorities. This paper uses the concept of policy coherence to explore congruence and inconsistencies in objectives, policy, and practice between tobacco control and trade, development and global health priorities. Following the inability of the FCTC negotiations to satisfactorily address the relationship between trade and health, several disputes highlight the challenges posed to tobacco control policies by multilateral and bilateral agreements. While the work of the World Bank has demonstrated the potential contribution of tobacco control to development, the absence of non-communicable diseases from the Millennium Development Goals has limited scope to offer developing countries support for FCTC implementation. Even within international health, tobacco control priorities may be hard to reconcile with other agendas. The paper concludes by discussing the extent to which tobacco control has been pursued via a model of governance very deliberately different from those used in other health issues, in what can be termed ‘tobacco exceptionalism’. The analysis developed here suggests that non-communicable disease (NCD) policies, global health, development and tobacco control would have much to gain from re-examining this presumption of difference.

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Eliminating child labour in Malawi: a British American Tobacco corporate responsibility project to sidestep tobacco labour exploitation

Abstract: In Malawi, transnational tobacco companies are using child labour projects to enhance corporate reputations and distract public attention from how they profit from low wages and cheap tobacco.

Cited by 44 publications

References 15 publications

Moving past the problematisation of tobacco farming: insights from South India

Moving past the problematisation of tobacco farming: insights from South India

Tobacco growers at the crossroads: Towards a comparison of diversification and ecosystem impacts

Tobacco control, global health policy and development: towards policy coherence in global governance

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