Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – or as we call it, the WHO FCTC – aligns itself with the FAO vision of contributing to a world free from hunger and malnutrition by advocating for the four betters: better food production, better nutrition, better environment and better life.
Tobacco control can help achieve this agenda.
Globally, millions of hectares of land are used for tobacco cultivation. Not only is this land displacing food crops, but it is also contributing to a loss of biodiversity, land degradation, deforestation and demanding the use of tremendous amounts of water.
It has been estimated that 10 to 20 million malnourished people worldwide could be fed if food crops were grown instead of tobacco.
Tobacco crops are labour intense, and not only lock farmers into a vicious cycle of debt and poverty, but unfortunately – and more often than is generally acknowledged – children are part of that labour force.
In addition, the health of these farmers is endangered by the heavy use of pesticides and by tobacco green-leave sickness, a type of nicotine poisoning that comes from handling tobacco plants.
Tobacco also contributes to poverty and hunger.
Household expenditures for tobacco products, as well as out-of-pocket medical costs for tobacco-related ill health, is money not invested in food and nutrition.
Shifting from tobacco cultivation can be achieved supporting tobacco farmers to engage in economically viable alternatives, as stated in Article 17 of the Convention.
Moreover, in Article 18, the Convention calls to protect the environment and the health of people.
It is important to remember that SDG Target 3.a, which calls for strengthening implementation of the WHO FCTC, not only will help to achieve SDG 3.4, which seeks a one-third reduction in premature NCD-related deaths by 2030, but can also spur policy changes around tobacco production.
Tobacco-producing countries must be supported with technical guidance to transition away from this deadly product. Innovative sources of financing like dedicating a portion of domestic tobacco tax revenues or using development impact bonds, should be explored.
The tobacco industry will never cease to fight to protect its profits. Therefore, it is important to protect the promotion of economically sustainable alternative livelihoods from commercial and other vested interests of the industry and others that work to further its interests, in accordance with Article 5.3 of the Convention.
We are pleased to note that in the FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement 2021-2025, FAO does not engage with entities that are involved in the production and wholesale distribution of tobacco products.
The Secretariat looks forward to strengthening its existing collaboration with FAO in order to facilitate a systematic and comprehensive approach to implementation of Articles 17 and 18 of the WHO FCTC.
Thank you.
📹 42nd FAO Conference FCTC statement Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo - YouTube