By Collins Mtika

Farmers in Malawi have been caught in a never-ending cycle of poverty for decades since the tobacco industry, which makes money as they suffer, is their main source of income. Tobacco corporations promised to assist farmers in switching to other crops, but these corporate-led initiatives have not produced any tangible results.

Experts now suggest that the Malawian administration must take the initiative, as there is only one way to escape. Farmers throughout the nation will continue to be ensnared in a faltering tobacco economy until strong, farmer-centered action is taken and corporate influence is diminished.

“The government should reassert itself as the primary driver of diversification efforts,” says Nyirenda, Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI). “Without independent, farmer-centered action, our farmers will remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, and Malawi risks falling further behind.”

Although tobacco has long been referred to as “Malawi’s green gold,” the reality for the farmers who cultivate it is far harsher. Even though tobacco accounts for over half of Malawi’s export earnings, the majority of growers nonetheless live in abject poverty.

According to studies, about 60% of tobacco farmers in Malawi make significantly less money than they require to support their families, putting them below the poverty line.

The contract farming model, which provides tobacco purchasers significant control over farmers’ profits, is one factor contributing to this poverty trap. These agreements require farmers to repay loans for inputs such as fertiliser and seeds after they sell their harvest.

Buyers, however, choose pricing and frequently give farmers far less than the crop’s market value. Many farmers are forced to plant tobacco year after year in an effort to break even under this arrangement, which leaves them in terrible debt.

This challenge is familiar to a tobacco farmer from Matchakaza Village in Traditional Authority Ntema, Lilongwe District. He has depended on tobacco to provide for his family since 2003. However, his financial issues have only become worse as production expenses have increased and tobacco prices have declined.

“I tried switching to legumes,” he says, “but without a stable market, I couldn’t make ends meet. The price of tobacco may go up and down, but it’s still the only crop that pays for my family’s survival.”

This arrangement keeps farmers in poverty while benefiting large tobacco corporations. These companies continue to promote tobacco production while providing minimal assistance for alternate crops, despite years of assurances that they will assist farmers in diversifying. Although tobacco firms say they encourage variety, such initiatives are constantly ineffective.

The Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI) identifies three main reasons why these corporate-led initiatives fall short: Lack of infrastructure: To successfully navigate volatile markets, farmers require adequate storage facilities, dependable transportation, and state-of-the-art processing facilities.

Farmers cannot take the chance of converting to new crops without certain buyers. Debt Dependency: By using high-interest loans, the contract farming model ties farmers to tobacco. Alternative crop financing is either nonexistent or very limited.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the demand for tobacco products worldwide has decreased by 23% since 2007. As a result, Malawi must quickly abandon this antiquated system. However, farmers can’t do it by themselves.

Tobacco’s hold on their livelihoods will only get stronger in the absence of government action. Malawi does not have to start from the beginning. Kenya’s Tobacco-Free Farms program demonstrates that farmers may effectively switch to sustainable crops with the correct funding and regulations.

The WHO, local cooperatives, and the Kenyan government collaborated to develop this program, which has assisted more than 2,000 farmers in switching from tobacco to high-iron beans while preserving a steady income.

Malawi could adopt this model by concentrating on important areas like enforcing Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which forbids the tobacco industry from influencing decisions related to public health and agriculture, according to the Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI). Malawi may prioritise policies that benefit farmers rather than corporate interests by enforcing them.

Additionally, without the proper infrastructure, diversification will not be successful. To assist farmers in growing and selling alternative commodities like soy, groundnuts, and legumes, the government must fund market access initiatives, storage facilities, and rural roads. Logistical obstacles will keep farmers dependent on tobacco in the absence of these expenditures, according to SDI.

Experts concur that strong government leadership is essential to Malawian farmers’ future. To bring about significant change, government organisations, agricultural associations, and development partners must work together.

“If Malawi adopted similar programs to Kenya’s,” Nyirenda argues, “farmers would finally have a real path out of tobacco dependency.”

This entails opposing business interests and giving farmer-centered policies top priority. Malawi may overcome the influence of tobacco and develop a more resilient, diverse agricultural economy with independent oversight, public funding, and political commitment.