The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World recently announced the start of construction of a new Centre for Agricultural Transformation in Malawi that will be the physical hub for CAT-related work that focuses on helping the nation's smallholder farmers increase productivity and transition into growing crops other than tobacco. The African country currently ranks among the most tobacco-dependent economies in the world.

Agricultural transformation represents one area of commitment in the Foundation's mission to end tobacco smoking in this generation. The new building on the campus of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources will house an incubation center for science, technology, and business that focuses on research, learning, and innovation with an aim of supporting smallholder farmers' agricultural diversification efforts and productivity.

The Foundation's CAT announcement coincided with World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization's annual day to focus attention worldwide on the harmful health outcomes associated with cigarette smoking.

"World No Tobacco Day highlights the importance of helping farmers transition away from growing tobacco. Malawi is ready, willing, and able to move away from tobacco as one of its main exports, but the work must start at ground level," said Candida Nakhumwa, Vice President and Malawi Country Director, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. 

"Tobacco farmers and the land on which tobacco is grown are often overlooked in the conversation about ending smoking. The global decline in tobacco demand is bringing negative economic consequences to tobacco farmers. They must be supported to find competitive and sustainable alternative livelihoods."

Centre for Agricultural Transformation Provides Much-Needed Support to Farmers

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World funded the technical activities of the CAT with a five-year grant from 2019. As part of its strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the harm caused by tobacco smoking, the nonprofit organization provides grants that support health and science research, agricultural diversification, and industry transformation. The Foundation has awarded $125 million in grant expenditures since its inception in 2017.

In Lilongwe, the new CAT building, which will support the CAT technical activities will provide a central location for the effort to educate Malawi farmers on pathways for agricultural diversification, increasing productivity and production for agriculture and livestock commodities other than tobacco. Programs offered through the CAT give smallholder farmers access to innovative agriculture science and technology that can support them in making the transition.

The CAT, which the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World fully funds, currently manages its programs without a central location. Even so, it has established smart farms at the Bunda and Natural Resources Campus of Lilongwe University for Agriculture and Natural Resources, as well as the Makoka research station. At the smart farms, farmers have explored working with a variety of different crops, including groundnuts, soybean, dairy, mushrooms, and bananas.

The new hub for the CAT is also supported by the Agricultural Transformation Initiative, an affiliate of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World.

Nakhumwa said the centre's programs and initiatives will provide "much-needed support to farmers, agribusinesses, communities, and other stakeholders working to build long-term resilience by diversifying away from tobacco production."

Malawi Ranks Among Biggest Tobacco-Producing Countries in the World

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World focuses on adult smoking cessation and harm reduction efforts in three areas - health and science research, agricultural transformation, and industry transformation. Each is considered critical to successfully combating smoking, which leads to more than 7 million deaths each year around the world. 

One often overlooked factor in reducing the use of tobacco for smoking is helping farmers, particularly in developing nations, transition into diverse agricultural value chains., including crops, livestock and aquaculture. Malawi is a country that the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World has focused on because of its high ranking among tobacco-producing countries.

While China, Brazil, and India are the world's largest producers of tobacco, Malawi is the only country in the world where tobacco exports account for more than 1% of total gross domestic product. In Malawi, tobacco exports account for 8.45% of the country's GDP, making tobacco the country's most-produced and exported crop. Taken together, these numbers show that Malawi - a country where almost 77% of the workforce is in agriculture and more than half of the country lives in poverty - is one of the most tobacco-dependent countries in the world.

How CAT Can Help Malawi Farmers Move Past Tobacco

One of the key components to what the CAT offers is an education for farmers on techniques that can help increase crop yield. Mwatitha Braynati, a Malawian groundnut farmer since 2020, said that CAT helped her accomplish this goal.

"Before the CAT came to partner with us, my groundnut harvest totaled just 30 bags. Two years later, in 2022, from the same 1 hectare of land, my harvest increased to 120 bags with technical guidance from the CAT," she said. "Next year I expect it to increase to 150 bags by applying the new practices and technologies demonstrated through the CAT smart farms. The proceeds from the sale of this harvest have ensured my family of seven children and four grandchildren is happy and does not lack for a good variety of food at home."

CAT initiatives focus on teaching farmers the significance of using improved crop varieties, as well as innovative technologies in planting nutrition, plant protection, soil enhancement, irrigation, and ecosystem restoration. While these programs help farmers increase productivity and production in the short term, the long-term goal is to pave the way for Malawi farmers to rid themselves of dependence on tobacco farming. CAT programs focus on helping smallholder farmers produce enough for their families, and also on improving productivity to the point where they can have surplus to sell in both the domestic and foreign exchange markets.

The CAT provides a place for farmers to view and experiment with agricultural technology, as well as create partnerships and develop business plans. This includes technical assistance, mentorship, agribusiness development support, and access to a network of connections who can help farmers move forward with agricultural diversification. After completion of the CAT building. farmers will also be able to access soil testing and food testing laboratories to ensure their products meet market quality levels.

With its growing workforce and large agricultural industry, Malawi is positioned to transition from tobacco and become a larger exporter of other types of crops.