How has child labor shaped the tobacco and cigarette industry?
In many developing countries, tobacco is the main source of income for many families and is the largest industry. This is partially due to the extreme child labor that occurs in the tobacco fields. Before the 1980s, the majority of the world's tobacco was grown in the US. However, today, about 85% of worldwide production comes from the global south, where tobacco child labor is a significant problem. A researcher at the University of California's tobacco control research and education center, Marty Orañez, remarks, "In any developing country where tobacco is grown, you find child labour starting at the age of five."
Malawi
Over the past ten years, Malawi has become one of the five largest tobacco producers in the world, largely due to cheap child labor. A common reason for this practice is Malawi's poor economic situation. Tobacco sales make up about 70 percent of Malawi's income and tobacco farming is an important part of the country's industrial activity. Inevitably, parents have no choice but to involve their children in economic activities such as tobacco farming to provide for the family. One five year old girl, Olofala, who works in the tobacco fields in Malawi is unsure when or if will go to school. She complains of coughing and headaches and says sometimes she doesn't "have enough breath." Disease is most definitely not uncommon. While working, children must cut and bundle tobacco leaves without proper protection. As a result, they become at risk of taking in toxic amounts of nicotine through their skin. Due to this unhealthy absorption of nicotine, about 80,000 of Malawi's child tobacco workers suffer from a disease called green tobacco sickness, or nicotine poisoning. With green tobacco sickness often comes headaches, stomach cramps, weakened muscles, difficulty breathing, as week as blood pressure spikes and heart rate fluctuations. Also, some children are subjected to pesticides when asked to handle the plants with their bare hands. If the pesticides are not handled correctly, they can cause the children to experience severe neurological issues.
Child Labor Rights
Malawi, one prominent example representing the situation of many developing countries, is joined with the UN and International Labour Organisation (ILO) child labor conventions, as well as having a legislative framework prohibiting the employment of children under 14. However, the government "turns a blind eye" because Malawi, like many other developing countries, has an economy that is majorly dependent on tobacco, which, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, comprises up to 70% of Malawi's export profits. Despite that the government has overlooked the problem, many others have addressed the issue. Plan Malawi advisor MacDonald Mumba says, "Some estates follow anti-child labor regulations, but others purposefully flaunt the law in the interest of higher profits." In addition, many large tobacco and cigarette companies claim that they follow the law. For example, the British American Tobacco company's website features the statement that they do "not employ children in any of [their] operations worldwide." However, they admit that using mediators to purchase tobacco makes it hard to find the country from which they buy the leaf and ensure all farm owners abide by the rules.
Malawi
Over the past ten years, Malawi has become one of the five largest tobacco producers in the world, largely due to cheap child labor. A common reason for this practice is Malawi's poor economic situation. Tobacco sales make up about 70 percent of Malawi's income and tobacco farming is an important part of the country's industrial activity. Inevitably, parents have no choice but to involve their children in economic activities such as tobacco farming to provide for the family. One five year old girl, Olofala, who works in the tobacco fields in Malawi is unsure when or if will go to school. She complains of coughing and headaches and says sometimes she doesn't "have enough breath." Disease is most definitely not uncommon. While working, children must cut and bundle tobacco leaves without proper protection. As a result, they become at risk of taking in toxic amounts of nicotine through their skin. Due to this unhealthy absorption of nicotine, about 80,000 of Malawi's child tobacco workers suffer from a disease called green tobacco sickness, or nicotine poisoning. With green tobacco sickness often comes headaches, stomach cramps, weakened muscles, difficulty breathing, as week as blood pressure spikes and heart rate fluctuations. Also, some children are subjected to pesticides when asked to handle the plants with their bare hands. If the pesticides are not handled correctly, they can cause the children to experience severe neurological issues.
Child Labor Rights
Malawi, one prominent example representing the situation of many developing countries, is joined with the UN and International Labour Organisation (ILO) child labor conventions, as well as having a legislative framework prohibiting the employment of children under 14. However, the government "turns a blind eye" because Malawi, like many other developing countries, has an economy that is majorly dependent on tobacco, which, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, comprises up to 70% of Malawi's export profits. Despite that the government has overlooked the problem, many others have addressed the issue. Plan Malawi advisor MacDonald Mumba says, "Some estates follow anti-child labor regulations, but others purposefully flaunt the law in the interest of higher profits." In addition, many large tobacco and cigarette companies claim that they follow the law. For example, the British American Tobacco company's website features the statement that they do "not employ children in any of [their] operations worldwide." However, they admit that using mediators to purchase tobacco makes it hard to find the country from which they buy the leaf and ensure all farm owners abide by the rules.
What are common working conditions on tobacco farms and in cigarette factories and how do those conditions effect the workers?
Wages and Hours
Working in the tobacco fields is an unforgiving job and includes extremely long hours, tough physical labor, and little to no pay. Children working in the tobacco fields work up to twelve hour days and many of these children make no salary at all. They simply "help" their parents. Those who are considered the lucky ones receive about $0.25 for long hours of unrelenting work. Grace Masanya, the Malawi project manager for Plan (international child rights NGO), remarks, "We have many reports of children who were lured into labour with promises of good pay. But at the end of a season, all they get is an old sweater." Also, as a result of child labor and low wages, until the education system is able to provide a quality education to all children, these kids must continue to work to provide for their families instead of going to school.
Tobacco Farming
In the tobacco fields, children are subjected to dangerous manual labour, physical stress, unsafe environments, and long hours; often charged with hazardous tasks including clearing the land, building tobacco drying sheds, weeding and plucking raw tobacco.According to 2005 research done by Prof Robert McKnight, of the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, since most of the handling of the tobacco leaves is done without protective clothing, workers absorb up to 54 milligrams of dissolved nicotine through their skin every day which is equal to the about the amount of 50 cigarettes.
Working in the tobacco fields is an unforgiving job and includes extremely long hours, tough physical labor, and little to no pay. Children working in the tobacco fields work up to twelve hour days and many of these children make no salary at all. They simply "help" their parents. Those who are considered the lucky ones receive about $0.25 for long hours of unrelenting work. Grace Masanya, the Malawi project manager for Plan (international child rights NGO), remarks, "We have many reports of children who were lured into labour with promises of good pay. But at the end of a season, all they get is an old sweater." Also, as a result of child labor and low wages, until the education system is able to provide a quality education to all children, these kids must continue to work to provide for their families instead of going to school.
Tobacco Farming
In the tobacco fields, children are subjected to dangerous manual labour, physical stress, unsafe environments, and long hours; often charged with hazardous tasks including clearing the land, building tobacco drying sheds, weeding and plucking raw tobacco.According to 2005 research done by Prof Robert McKnight, of the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, since most of the handling of the tobacco leaves is done without protective clothing, workers absorb up to 54 milligrams of dissolved nicotine through their skin every day which is equal to the about the amount of 50 cigarettes.