On World Tobacco Growers’ Day, global tobacco farmers raised concerns over their continued exclusion from international policymaking, calling for transparency and inclusion ahead of next month’s WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of the Parties (COP11) in Geneva. International Tobacco Growers’ Association president José Javier Aranda sent a letter saying the FCTC process has become increasingly opaque, with decisions made behind closed doors and little agricultural representation—fewer than 5% of delegates have expertise in farming. He warned that measures discussed at COP11 could impact millions of livelihoods across tobacco-producing nations.
“We understand the concerns about the negative impact of tobacco consumption, and we support policies that are genuinely aimed at reducing harm,” Aranda said. “But what we cannot understand is why tobacco growers and their representatives are given such a fundamentally different treatment compared to other sectors.
“As representatives of tobacco growers, we cannot remain silent. We raise our voice today to condemn this misconduct of the WHO FCTC Secretariat. Our governments must stand with us. I have already sent a letter to the WHO and the WHO FCTC, calling for transparency and inclusion. We expect to be heard.”
