The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Brazil is the world's largest tobacco leaf exporter and second largest producer. Over 90% of the production is concentrated in the three states of the southern region of Brazil. Tobacco production in the country is increasing every year and it is based on an integrated production system run by the tobacco industry that relies on small properties and where the industry is the main provider of farming necessities (seeds, equipment, etc) and the main buyer of the crop.

As tobacco production is the dominant crop in the region, alternatives for farmers are scarce. Tobacco growing is associated with serious health risks for farmers and the integrated system of production leave families in a situation of permanent debt with the industry, making it even harder to find livelihood other than tobacco growing in the rural areas in this region.

This presentation will discuss two projects in the tobacco-growing region that assist farmers to convert from tobacco to other crops and commercialize their products through cooperatives. The Hope Project is run by Santa Maria's Catholic Archdiocese and the CAPA (Support Center for small farmers) project is supported by the Lutheran Church in Santa Cruz do Sul. The challenges faced, and successes achieved by these two initiatives will be presented through concrete examples and placed in the context of the WHO FCTC ratification process in Brazil, leading up to an open discussion on the potential and limitations of religious values and partnerships in a social and economical context dominated by the tobacco industry.