From colonisation to globalisation: a history of state capture by the tobacco industry in Malawi

ABSTRACT

Malawi, the world’s most tobacco-dependent country, has long defended the tobacco industry as essential to its economy. The impoverished living conditions of tobacco farmers, however, raise questions about the true benefits accruing to the country. While the government and industry often blame public health advocates for declining leaf prices, and thus lower returns to farmers, this article scrutinises these claims from a historical perspective. It argues that a context of state capture has characterised Malawi’s tobacco industry, originating with colonisation and evolving since to become increasingly entrenched. The analysis is divided into four periods: colonial (1890s–1964); national (1964–1981); liberalisation (1981–2004) and accelerated globalisation (2004 to present). Each period demonstrates how industry interests influenced government institutions and policies in ways that increased dependence on a crop that only benefits a minority of Malawians. Today, a transnational elite prospers at the expense of local growers.

RÉSUMÉ

Le Malawi, le pays le plus dépendant du tabac au monde, a longtemps défendu l'industrie du tabac comme essentielle à son économie. La pauvreté des conditions de vie des cultivateurs de tabac, toutefois, pose question quant à la réalité des bénéfices revenant au pays. Tandis que le gouvernement et l'industrie mettent la faute sur les défenseurs de la santé publique pour les baisses de prix des feuilles de tabac, avec en conséquent des revenus réduits pour les cultivateurs, cet article examine minutieusement ces assomptions en partant d'une perspective historique. Il avance qu'un contexte de capture d'Etat a caractérisé l'industrie du tabac au Malawi, débutant avec la colonisation et évoluant depuis pour devenir de plus en plus enraciné. L'analyse se divise en quatre périodes : période coloniale (années 1890-1964) ; période nationale (1964-1981) ; libéralisation du pays (1981-2004) ; et enfin mondialisation croissante (2004 à aujourd'hui). Chaque période démontre comment l'industrie a influencé les institutions gouvernementales et les politiques mises en place de telle manière à accroitre la dépendance à une culture qui ne bénéficie qu'à une minorité de Malawiens. Aujourd'hui, une élite transnationale prospère aux dépens des producteurs locaux.

KEYWORDS:

• Malawi
• tobacco
• agriculture
• development
• globalisation
• colonisation

MOTS-CLÉS:

• Malawi
• tabac
• agriculture
• développement
• globalisation
• colonisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Julia Smith is Research Associate with the Global Tobacco Control Project in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University.

Kelley Lee is a professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, and the Principal Investigator of the Global Tobacco Control Program, which analyses the activities and impacts of the tobacco industry worldwide, particularly focusing on how the industry has adapted with forces of globalisation.

ORCID

Kelley Lee http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3625-1915

Notes

1. Flue-cured tobacco is strung onto tobacco sticks, which are hung from tier-poles in curing barns. Burley tobacco is air cured in well-ventilated barns. Both flue and burley are primarily purchased by Western-based companies (BAT, Philip Morris etc.). Sun-cured tobacco is dried uncovered in the sun, and is primarily purchased by Eastern and Southern European manufacturers, as well as those from the Middle East. Burley and flue tobacco fetch higher prices and require more labour and inputs than sun-cured tobacco.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health, grant number R01-CA091021. The contents of this paper are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.