Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi announced the opening of its new Global Action Agricultural Transformation Centre, designed to help smallholder farmers transition from tobacco cultivation to “more sustainable and profitable crops” like soybeans, groundnuts, and sunflowers. The facility was a gift from Global Action to End Smoking.
Because Malawi is heavily dependent on tobacco, with the crop representing a significant portion of Malawi’s gross domestic product and roughly half of the country’s exports, farmers are particularly exposed to the negative impact of decreasing demand for tobacco as global smoking rates continue to drop, as well as the impact of volatile weather. Global Action estimates that 800,000 Malawian farmers have begun diversifying crops as a layer of insurance.
“Reducing demand for tobacco without supporting farmers would result in serious economic consequences,” said Dr. Candida Nakhumwa, vice president and country director for Global Action in Malawi. “That’s why Global Action’s approach includes agricultural transformation as a critical part of the global public health response.”