Philip Morris USA purchases some of the tobacco for our products from the south African country of Malawi. Agriculture plays a major role in Malawi’s economy and their tobacco crop represents 53 percent of their export commodities according to the 2010 World Factbook.
In addition to high levels of poverty and low life expectancy, Malawi faces problems that directly threaten food security and short-term agricultural sustainability of natural resources. Tobacco cultivation is closely connected to these problems and there is no simple solution. According to Washington State University, Malawi farmers cut down approximately 5.3 million trees each year as part of tobacco production. To replace the resulting loss of natural forest, Malawi farmers would need to plant 14 million trees every year. The traditional growing and harvesting of trees for the wood needed to cure, fence and store tobacco leaves contributes to massive deforestation, which plays a role in soil erosion and reduced tobacco yields.
As a result, for several years we have worked with others to address some of these issues in a holistic way to help Malawi sustain a strong agricultural export business, including tobacco, and to improve conditions for Malawians.
In 2001, PM USA began working with Washington State University through the Agroforestry Partnership Project (APP) to help address Malawi’s deforestation problems. In 2006, PM USA began funding a new project called
Sustainable Rural Enterprise and Livelihoods (SURELIVES), implemented by Washington State University and
Total Land Care. Today, our parent company Altria Group continues to support this project through its funding of
sustainable agriculture programs.
The program has achieved a variety of outcomes which include enhancing the capability of farming families to meet their basic needs; increasing their crop quality and diversity; and adopting environmentally sound production practices.
Key results in 2010, according to the SURELIVES annual report include:
- Over 2 million tree seedlings were raised by almost 22,000 households. Between 2006 and 2010, over 7 million trees have been planted under SURELIVES. Families who planted trees when the program first began now benefit from those trees through income, firewood, construction materials for homes and tobacco curing shelters.
- Over 450 new households in 42 villages were using improved wood stoves, which are more fuel efficient than conventional systems.
- New irrigation systems serve nearly 287 households for improved agricultural production.
