Who wants a dead tobacco business in Africa?

In recent weeks, growing debate over the dynamics of the tobacco business in Africa, with sustained interest in the fate of the country's cultivation of tobacco, tobacco companies of the future for the production of and burden of the tobacco epidemic in the region that have stimulated so much media coverage. Across the region, it was more than 100 media in print, radio and television, presenting alternative views, and arguments against and in favor of the tobacco business. The campaign intensified among those who favor a balance between business and health around tobacco use, and the Framework Convention of the World Health Organization's Tobacco Control (FCTCC) on the one hand, and the tobacco industry on the other hand, questions have been raised that require further investigation. In May this year, the face of the campaign has changed at the end of the International Tobacco Growers Association meeting with Antonio Abrunhosa, CEO of ITGA urge to resist tobacco lose their livelihoods, creating a form of motion to oppose the WHO FCTC in the draft report on articles 17 and 18, which looks on the cultivation of tobacco in relation to the provision of economically viable alternatives. In a press statement released at the end of the meeting ITGA Antonio said the economy of the region are now under threat because of this "new form of imperialism," Health officials have no experience in agriculture. "Not having anything to show for their efforts to find alternatives to growing tobacco, they are moving in the direction of the government say to make it impossible for farmers growing tobacco, regardless of the impact on the millions of jobs." Such a statement, compared with the fact that most African countries are still developing, an ideology that is bent to reduce the livelihoods section of the economy, if it is, and based on the WHO FCTC will be considered as completely unfounded and beyond reach. It also leaves many questions raging. Francois van der Merwe, chairman of ITGA Africa, further sustained this argument when he said that the decision makers within the FCTC has moved beyond its original intent to help find an alternative to tobacco crops. "This transition occurs with complete disregard to the fact that tobacco is one of the few crops that provide a steady income for many families in the region." In a very quick response from a consortium of tobacco control in Africa, the African coordinator of the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA), Mr. Armstrong described the TIH Ntiabang ITGA statement as "the tactics of the tobacco industry," adding that the draft article referenced ITGA is to provide an alternative to tobacco, and is not about forcing farmers to leave their jobs. He said: "We regard the statement Antonio Abrunhosa, CEO of the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA), because it is misleading and a deliberate attempt to raise a protest against the treaty, WHO, using tobacco." The big question is, who wants to tobacco business is dead? What does this all the FCTC? Is this a "complete disregard" for a sustainable income for many in the region, as described by Francois van der Merwe? According to WHO, tobacco is the main cause of global death and disease. Tobacco use is responsible for 1 in 10 deaths of adults, and if current trends continue, it will kill more than 8 million people a year by 2030. Up to half of the more than 1 billion smokers worldwide will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases. Faced with the devastating effects of the tobacco epidemic, world leaders in 2003 adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a binding international treaty that is currently in 174 countries as parties, as well as the European Union, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the population the globe. FCTC parties to set up various working groups for detailed study of specific issues including sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing, known as Article 17 and 18 working groups that are open to all parties to the FCTC and now includes large sections of the countries where tobacco including India, Brazil, European Union, Turkey and the 13 African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Djibouti, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia). The focus of this article was the need to improve the difficult economic and social conditions of many of the tobacco manufacturers and workers. The background to this ongoing debate on the business economics of tobacco and the FCTC in Africa, the working group has recently completed a draft report to be presented at the Conference of the Parties (COP) in November 2012. In contrast to the statements ITGA, and subsequent reports in the media, this draft report does not call for a ban on tobacco and tobacco farming, and he was not forced to leave their tobacco farmers' livelihoods. The report considers as the main goal should be to identify ways to assist farmers who are interested in alternatives to tobacco growing, which promises high returns, but often do not deliver them. In practice, the leaf tobacco companies and cigarette manufacturers to provide loans to farmers at the entrance and equipment that keeps them in poverty and must in many cases. The Working Group notes that, as the world's population continues to grow and the implementation of the FCTC is just beginning in many countries, it is unlikely that the demand for tobacco leaf will fall substantially over the years. He also noted that even when the FCTC-related decline in demand for tobacco leaves become visible in the transition to a more economically viable alternative products, they will slowly, providing a long transition from growing tobacco. These facts were not presented as arguments in the ITGA, may verify the statements of Mr. TIH, describing a press statement ITGA as misleading. It should be recalled that in 2010 had a similar campaign ITGA, on the eve of the fourth session of the COP in November 2010. In a press release August 31, 2010 ITGA said, "... If the WHO introduced the ban on tobacco ingredients are mixed will have disastrous consequences for many African countries, including many of its members. Tobacco growing is crucial to the economies of some of the poorest countries in Africa. These guidelines will be too crippled their economy and as a result of hundreds of thousands of African tobacco farmers losing their livelihoods. " Nevertheless, all the recommendations proposed in the Constitutional Court in 2010 - including ITGA specifically objected - were adopted at the meeting, and the doom and gloom predicted the tobacco industry did not happen. In fact, recent data show that tobacco production, and prices in countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi in 2012 compared to 2011. Although, ITGA has positioned itself as a nonprofit organization that works to advance the cause of millions of tobacco manufacturers in the world, it is important to note that the ITGA was established manufacturers of cigarettes, and still depends on their financial support. Interest ITGA can therefore not be separated from the tobacco industry. The focus of the industry continues to prevent any tobacco control measures that may impede their business: connecting a new generation of smokers, ignoring the facts and prefer to use the mood of tobacco farmers to get the ear of the government tobacco-growing country, and media attention . It should be noted that the FCTC be a global agreement is not an order, and any recommendations contained in the final report of the Articles 17 and 18 of the Working Group should be to achieve consensus among the 175 Parties to the FCTC, including tobacco growing out of them before they are adopted by the COP in November. After that, the parties will decide whether to accept or reject them. According to the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) in Geneva, "one of the biggest fears of the tobacco industry that in November of FCTC Parties shall agree on guidelines for governments to use to make taxes on tobacco products. Has long been known that an increase in cigarette prices in including through taxes, is the most effective way to reduce consumption. Instead of talking about the enormous health gains to be made by raising taxes, the industry prefers to deflect attention away from rehashing old horror stories about the faceless bureaucrats of the UN, which cover eyes to the lives of poor farmers. "