tobacco

what's the problem?

European Union subsidies for tobacco growing totalled €989 million in 2000. EU tobacco production accounts for less than five percent of world output. Through CAP, the tobacco growers in the EU, based mainly in Italy and Greece, receive subsidies worth 6,727 euro per hectare [1], making it the most heavily subsidised crop under the CAP [2]. In some areas, notably Italy, farmers are claiming high subsidies while continuing to grow varieties of tobacco for which there is no demand within the EU. Most of this tobacco, much of it very high tar, is exported to Eastern Europe and the developing world. It's an absurdity that on one hand governments in Europe are spending huge amounts of money per hectare on tobacco, while at the same time, spending equally large amounts combatting the health problems created by it, not to mention money spent on preventative measures like warning labels on cigarette packets.

expenditure per hectare, 2000
crop/land use	average euro/ha
arable crops sugar olive oil dried fodder/veg textiles fruit and veg wine tobacco rice hops potatoes all crops/arable area animal products/ha grass	357 866 gross, 319 net 378 ? 1842 613 200 6727 467 500 0 295 187

Source: CAP Spending and Land Use in the EU: Discussion Note, RSPB, UK, 2001

Serious environmental costs are associated with tobacco farming, especially deforestation, erosion and desertification [3], and high amounts of pesticides are used in tobacco farming due to the fragile nature of the plant.

what's being done?

The European council is currently revising tobacco subsidies, with a view to phasing them out by 2006. However, there is strong opposition to the proposal from the main producer countries: Austria, Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Portugal. A Special Agricultural Committee has been established, and reported back to the Council in March 2002, fixing tobacco premiums and guaranteed price thresholds until 2004.

what should be done?

All agriculture must be subject to minimum good agricultural practice (see our Position Paper). Enviromental standards must be upheld by tobacco farmers. The tobacco industry must end its overuse of pesticides and bad land and water management practices.

Support for the tobacco industry should be phased out. The policy which hands out cash to grow a product, then spends millions fighting the diseases that stem from its use must end.

what can I do?

reading

Action on Smoking and Health's proposal to phase out tobacco subsidies.

writing

Write to your national Agriculture minister or MEP to voice your disapproval of CAP money being used to support tobacco production.

[1] This from Rosemary Hoskins "Where's the Beef?" Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environment Alliance, London 1998.