Costs, contracts and the narrative of prosperity: an economic analysis of smallholder tobacco farming livelihoods in Kenya

Magati, Peter; Lencucha, Raphael; Li, Qing; Drope, Jeffrey; Labonté, Ronald; Appau, Adriana; Makoka, Donald; Goma, Fastone; Zulu, Richard

doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-054213

Cited by 38 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Governments have committed, in Articles 17 and 18 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to actively pursue a policy agenda that supports alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, directly and indirectly reducing tobacco supply. Other reasons to reduce tobacco production include the harmful consequences of growing tobacco leaf for the health and economic livelihoods of farmers, as well as for the environment [20][21][22][23]. Despite the compelling rationale, implementation of interventions to promote alternative livelihoods has proved challenging.…”

Section: Tobacco Food and Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Government policy and agricultural production: a scoping review to inform research and policy on healthy agricultural commodities

Lencucha

Pal

Appau³

et al. 2020

Global Health

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Unhealthy foods and tobacco remain the leading causes of non-communicable disease (NCDs). These are key agricultural commodities for many countries, and NCD prevention policy needs to consider how to influence production towards healthier options. There has been little scholarship to bridge the agriculture with the public health literature that seeks to address the supply of healthy commodities. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on government agricultural policy and production in order to 1) present a typology of policies used to influence agricultural production, 2) to provide a preliminary overview of the ways that impact is assessed in this literature, and 3) to bring this literature into conversation with the literature on food and tobacco supply. This review analyzes the literature on government agricultural policy and production. Articles written in English and published between January 1997 and April 2018 (20-year range) were included. Only quantitative evaluations were included. Studies that collected qualitative data to supplement the quantitative analysis were also included. One hundred and three articles were included for data extraction. The following information was extracted: article details (e.g., author, title, journal), policy details (e.g., policy tools, goals, context), methods used to evaluate the policy (e.g., outcomes evaluated, sample size, limitations), and study findings. Fifty four studies examined the impact of policy on agricultural production. The remaining articles assessed land allocation (n = 25) (e.g., crop diversification, acreage expansion), efficiency (n = 23), rates of employment including on-and off-farm employment (n = 18), and farm income (n = 17) among others. Input supports, output supports and technical support had an impact on production, income and other outcomes. Although there were important exceptions, largely attributed to farm level allocation of labour or resources. Financial supports were most commonly evaluated including cash subsidies, credit, and tax benefits. This type of support resulted in an equal number of studies reporting increased production as those with no effects. This review provides initial extrapolative insights from the general literature on the impact of government policies on agricultural production. This review can inform dialogue between the health and agricultural sector and evaluative research on policy for alternatives to tobacco production and unhealthy food supply.

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Section: Tobacco Food and Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Government policy and agricultural production: a scoping review to inform research and policy on healthy agricultural commodities

Lencucha

Pal

Appau³

et al. 2020

Global Health

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“…(Lencucha, Drope, & Labonte, 2016). However, rigorous empirical findings across multiple and varied contexts has helped to generate evidence that small-scale tobacco farmers are rarely economically prosperous and that tobacco control has very little short-term effect on them, in countries such as Kenya, (Magati, Li, Drope, Lencucha, & Labonté, 2016). Malawi, (Makoka, Drope, Appau, et al, 2016) and Zambia.…”

Section: Informing Advocacy Effortsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact and relevance of tobacco control research in low-and middle-income countries globally and to the US

Berg

Fong

Thrasher

et al. 2018

Addictive Behaviors

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International and cross-cultural research is critical for understanding multilevel influences on health, health behaviors, and disease. A particularly relevant area of need for such research is tobacco control. The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats globally, killing over 7 million people a year. Research critical to addressing this public health problem has leveraged variability in tobacco use, history, product market, and policies across different countries, settings, and populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the tobacco burden is increasing. These efforts are needed in order to advance the science and inform practice and policy in various settings, including the US. Several funding agencies provide support for international research focused on tobacco control in LMICs because of the importance and implications of such research. This paper provides some concrete examples of how such research has advanced our knowledge-base and informed practice and policy globally, particularly in high-income countries including the US. Some prominent themes emphasized in this manuscript include: the development of knowledge regarding the diverse tobacco products on the market; better understanding of tobacco use and its impact among different populations; generating knowledge about the impacts including unintended consequences of tobacco control policy interventions; and better understanding tobacco industry strategies and informing advocacy efforts. In summary, international tobacco control research, particularly in LMICs, is critical in effectively and efficiently building the evidence base to advance tobacco control research, policy, and practice globally, including the US, with the ultimate goal of curbing the tobacco epidemic.

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“…Selection of participants for the focus groups was done during data collection of a parallel tobacco farmer survey in each of the regions. Enumerators, the individuals administering the survey to tobacco farmers, which is another component of our research project [6,14,18], identified 10-15 of the most experienced tobacco farmers in each county who were willing to provide additional information during the FGD. Efforts were made to generate some variation by gender, age, and the extent to which farmers had diversified livelihoods.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Government data indicate that tobacco growing contributes 0.03% of Kenya's GDP while the industry as a whole accounts for about 7% of the GDP. At least 55,000 farmers grow tobacco on 13,500 hectares of land mainly in the Western and higher than every other cash crop [3,14]. Second, tobacco farming poses several environmental stresses (e.g., water consumption, pesticide use, and deforestation from wood-fired curing), and health risks associated with 'green tobacco sickness' (acute nicotine poisoning) in leaf harvesting and smoke inhalation during leaf-curing [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In principle, this shift places greatly power in the hands of local agriculture officers to shape the landscape of agricultural production, which provides the administrative backdrop to understand the potential for alternatives to tobacco growing. Although there is some literature describing the challenges and benefits of tobacco growing in Kenya [3,6,14], there is limited data on how county-level government officials and agricultural extension officers at the sub-national level view tobacco growing, and the challenges to and opportunities for promoting alternative livelihoods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding Alternatives to Tobacco Production in Kenya: A Qualitative Analysis at the Sub-National Level

Clark

Magati

Drope

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Tobacco is a key cash crop for many farmers in Kenya, although there is a variety of challenges associated with tobacco production. This study seeks to understand alternatives to tobacco production from the perspective of government officials, extension officers, and farmers at the sub-national level (Migori, Busia, and Meru) in Kenya. The study analyzes data from qualitative key-informant interviews with government officials and extension officers (n = 9) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with farmers (n = 5). Data were coded according to pre-identified categories derived from the research aim, namely, opportunities and challenges of tobacco farming and alternative crops, as well findings that illustrate the policy environment that shapes the agricultural context in these regions. We highlight important factors associated with the production of non-tobacco agricultural commodities, including the factors that shape the ability of these non-agricultural commodities to serve as viable alternatives to tobacco. The results highlight the effect that several factors, including access to capital, markets, and governmental assistance, have on farmer decisions. The results additionally display the structured policy approaches that are being promoted in governmental offices towards agricultural production, as well as the institutional shortcomings that inhibit their implementation at the sub-national level.

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Costs, contracts and the narrative of prosperity: an economic analysis of smallholder tobacco farming livelihoods in Kenya

Abstract: Tobacco farming households enter into contract with tobacco companies to realise perceived economic benefits. The narrative that tobacco farming is a lucrative economic undertaking for smallholder farmers, however, is inaccurate in the context of Kenya.

Cited by 38 publications

References 13 publications

Government policy and agricultural production: a scoping review to inform research and policy on healthy agricultural commodities

Government policy and agricultural production: a scoping review to inform research and policy on healthy agricultural commodities

The impact and relevance of tobacco control research in low-and middle-income countries globally and to the US

Understanding Alternatives to Tobacco Production in Kenya: A Qualitative Analysis at the Sub-National Level

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