WHO "Tobacco Subsidies Amount to Millions Annually... Support Must Be Stopped"

Facing Severe Food Insecurity
Must Cultivate Food Crops Instead of Tobacco

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries around the world to stop providing millions of dollars in subsidies annually to support tobacco farmers.

On the 26th (local time), WHO stated in a press release, "More than 3 million hectares of land worldwide are used for tobacco cultivation."

According to a recent report published by WHO, over one million youths in tobacco farming households around the world are losing educational opportunities and are engaged in labor. It is known that tobacco cultivation areas have recently been expanding across various parts of Africa.

Tobacco Farm [Image source=Getty Images]

Farmers growing tobacco are also exposed to risks of various diseases due to pesticides and the nicotine content in tobacco leaves. Considering that more than 300 million people globally face severe food insecurity, WHO emphasized that it is preferable to cultivate food crops instead of tobacco. Additionally, it reported that approximately 8 million people die each year from smoking.

WHO, along with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), is conducting campaigns in Kenya and Zambia in Africa to help farmers grow food crops instead of tobacco.