The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective - To analyze social and economical aspects of tobacco growing in Brazil as well as existing initiatives to promote viable alternatives to it, focusing gender aspects.

Methods - In Brazil, a National Commission encompasses 11 ministries of government and is responsible for building an agenda for FCTC implementation, including a national program to support tobacco growing alternatives . A recent campaign of misinformation by tobacco companies placed challenges on FCTC ratification and led Senate to organize public hearings in tobacco producers regions. This was an opportunity to National Commission collect information, to identify allies among farmers, catch their support to FCTC and identify some positive experiences on tobacco crops diversification.

Results - Brazil is the second tobacco producer in the world and the world leader in exportation. Tobacco growing evolves thousand of families working in integration with big transnational tobacco companies that dominate the production chain and its rules. This dynamic obliges farmers to yield their land and their labor hand to a production that places serious risks to health and environment. Women have an important role in tobacco production, and together with their husband and children suffer rights violation, and health risks in tobacco production chain. Most of tobacco farmers would like to shift to other activities but faces a climate of pressure to keep on growing tobacco. The growers dissatisfaction led to a few successful social initiative in local level to support economically viable tobacco growing alternatives some of them are led by women.