With tobacco killing one in two of its users, it’s little wonder that a major focus for tobacco control advocacy is on health. But while tobacco products appear near the end of a long and complex supply chain, its harms start at the very beginning, with tobacco leaf farming. About tobacco farming Tobacco is grown in...
Nairobi - Hundreds of farmers in Migori County, Kenya will break free from risky tobacco farming and transition to producing more sustainable crops, through the Tobacco-Free Farms Project being launched today. Tobacco-Free Farms project is a joint initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...
Farmer Reginald Omulo walks between rows of healthy maize and beans, stopping to admire what he has planted. Like many farmers in Uriri Sub-county, Migori County, Kenya, Omulo used to cultivate tobacco. But no longer. He is now passionate about his family’s shift to grow alternative crops, confident that their hard work will be the foundation for...
Migori, Kenya — Sixty-four-year-old Petalis Ouma has suffered chronic cough and chest pains. Lately, the chest pain has been worsening. He has never smoked a cigarette but cultivated tobacco for years in his home in Migori, a region in southwestern Kenya where tobacco is one of the primary cash crops. Growing tobacco has a detrimental effect...
Tobacco production is a multi-billion-dollar global industry. Unfortunately, the cultivation of tobacco engages the labour of children in extremely dangerous environments, which has both immediate and long-term consequences for society. Tobacco production and consumption are public health issues with human rights implications. Tobacco is now produced in 125 countries, including Kenya. In a quest to...
Preparations for the opening of the 2022 tobacco marketing season are advanced with prices expected to firm due to anticipated reduced volumes. This year, auction floors will open on March 30 while contract sales will start on March 31. The bulk of the tobacco will be sold through contract floors as 118 465 registered farmers are...
