A new analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that tobacco leaf production continues to increase in Africa, while global volume decreases, raising concerns about its effects on health, farmers' livelihoods, the natural environment, and sustainable development.
According to this report, although global tobacco leaf production fell by nearly 19 percent between 2012 and 2024, in the African continent it increased by almost 9 percent. In 2024, Africa produced more than 639,000 tons of tobacco leaf, and cigarette imports in the region more than doubled, rising from 833 million dollars (717 million euros) to 1.770 billion dollars (1.523 billion euros).
The data reflect a concerning development trend: African countries are increasingly exporting raw tobacco leaf while spending growing sums on the purchase of already manufactured cigarettes from abroad.
"This is not just a tobacco control problem. It is a health, trade, development, and environmental issue," says Dr. Vinayak Prasad, director of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative.
"Tobacco cultivation exposes workers and their families to serious health risks, harms the environment, and can trap farmers in cycles of debt. At the same time, African economies are spending more on imported cigarettes that fuel addiction, disease, and premature death," he adds.
The document indicates that Africa accounted for about 11 percent of global tobacco leaf production in 2024. The activity is highly localized: the five main producers – Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Uganda, in that order – account for the majority of the continent's tobacco harvest. Only East Africa gathers almost 90 percent of African leaf production.
Tobacco cultivation continues to occupy agricultural land, consuming water and using natural resources that could be directed towards food production and more sustainable economic activities. It is also associated with soil degradation, exposure to chemicals, deforestation, and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the curing of the leaves.
The farmers who work with tobacco also face direct risks to their health. Among them, the green tobacco sickness stands out, caused by the absorption of nicotine through the skin when handling wet leaves, in addition to exposure to pesticides and tobacco dust. In certain low- and middle-income countries, younger members of low-income families stop attending school to join the workforce in tobacco plantations and thus contribute income to the household.
The WHO questions the economic weight of tobacco
The study also challenges the idea that tobacco is an essential economic pillar for most states. Tobacco leaf exports exceed 1 percent of GDP only in a small group of economies, including Zimbabwe and Malawi. In most countries, the economic contribution of tobacco production and trade is limited, while the health, social, and environmental costs remain very high.
"Countries need support to stop being economically dependent on a product that harms health, farmers, and the environment. The data shows why trade and development policies must be aligned with public health and sustainable development goals," declares Dr. Prasad.
In this context, the WHO calls for strengthening assistance to countries that are trying to diversify their productive structure to reduce dependence on tobacco, protect agricultural communities, tighten tobacco control policies, and alleviate the economic burden arising from the consumption and trade of these products.