Depending on the season and on who you ask, tobacco accounts for between 40 and 70 percent of Malawi’s export earnings.
In a good season, the golden leaf generates a relative level of wealth in the countryside and earns the nation much-needed foreign currency to import the products and services it cannot produce at home.
In a bad season, there will be poverty in the villages.
Read our special report to learn how Malawi is diversifying to make its economy more resilient and prepare for a future with less tobacco.
Is Science Impacting Policy or Policy Impacting Science? GTNF 2026
Scientists have raised concerns that evidence supporting harm reduction and flexible regulation is being overlooked.
Don’t Be Afraid to Fail: GTNF 2026
Innovation in the nicotine sector is increasingly being shaped by regulation, consumer needs and the ability of companies to test, fail, and iterate.
Up-and-Coming Nicotine Innovators
Emerging nicotine companies said regulatory barriers, consumer education and the infrastructure surrounding products are increasingly shaping innovation.
Innovation Requires Regulatory Viability: GTNF 2026
Innovation in tobacco and nicotine products is advancing rapidly, but companies must account for regulation, product standards and consumer needs alongside science and technology.
Illicit Market Threatens Harm Reduction Progress
The growing illicit nicotine market is creating risks for brand protection, consumer safety and tobacco harm reduction.
GTNF Keynote Challenges Tobacco Control’s Approach
Dessart said climate policy has embraced collaboration with industry, while a restrictive interpretation of FCTC has ignored tobacco-industry stakeholders.
Climate Policy and Sustainability Take Center Stage at GTNF 2026
The panel examined how the industry is responding to environmental pressures through sustainability strategies, regulation, and government cooperation.
Armenia Tobacco Firm Exampted from Duties
DrimCompany has pledged to invest nearly $25 million and create 100 jobs.
