Global assessment of deforestation related to tobacco farming
Helmut J Geist
Neuss, Germany
Correspondence to: Hubertusweg 90, D-41466 Neuss, Germany; HJGeist{at}aol.com
OBJECTIVES
To
assess the global amount of forest and woodland consumed annually for
curing tobacco between 1990 and 1995; to estimate tobacco's share in
total deforestation; to rank tobacco-growing countries by the degree of
impact of tobacco deforestation; and to indicate environmental
criticality emerging from tobacco's impact on forest resources.
DESIGN
Production
of country-specific estimates of forests/woodlands needed and depleted
on the basis of growing stock/increment of woody biomass involved and
wood consumption of tobacco. Comparison of results with secondary
statistics on forest cover, deforestation, and population development.
RESULTS
An
estimated 200 000 ha of forests/woodlands are removed by tobacco
farming each year. Deforestation mainly occurs in the developing world,
amounting to 1.7% of global net losses of forest cover or 4.6% of
total national deforestation. Environmental criticality exists or is
emerging in 35 countries with an estimated serious, high, and medium
degree of tobacco-related deforestation, mainly in southern Africa,
middle east, south, and east Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.
CONCLUSION
The
hypothesis that deforestation from tobacco production does not have a
significant negative effect has to be challenged. For empirical
validation, the globally significant pattern of estimated
tobacco-related environmental damage ought to be included in
international research agendas on global environmental change, to
become an integral and rational part of tobacco control policy.
Keywords: deforestation; tobacco farming
© 1999 by Tobacco Control
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