Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:50 am
Time: 11:50 am
Results for tobacco industry
12 results foundAuthor: Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance Title: Child Labour in Tobacco Cultivation in the ASEAN Region Summary: Child labour is prevalent in tobacco cultivation in Southeast Asia. All ASEAN countries are Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and, hence, are obligated to enforce the Convention and ensure their rights are protected (Table 1). Most ASEAN countries grow tobacco with the exception of Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Child labour has been used in tobacco cultivation in all the tobacco growing countries. This report will provide an overview of the problem in the ASEAN region. It will address how different industries have dealt with child labour issues, laws on importation of goods using child labour, and how the tobacco industry have shielded themselves through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, which have not eradicated the problem. A case study on child labour in tobacco growing from East Java in Indonesia is presented. Indonesia is the largest tobacco producer in the region and its leaf exports to international markets makes it important to address the problem. The report will also provide recommendations on what needs to be done to eradicate child labour in leaf production. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://seatca.org/dmdocuments/ChildLabor%20Final%202013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Asia URL: http://seatca.org/dmdocuments/ChildLabor%20Final%202013.pdf Shelf Number: 129511 Keywords: Child Labor (Asia)Tobacco Industry |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: Tobacco's Hidden Children: Hazardous Child Labor in United States Tobacco Farming Summary: Children working on tobacco farms in the United States are exposed to nicotine, toxic pesticides, and other dangers. Based on interviews with 141 children, ages 7 to 17, working on farms in the states of North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and, Virginia where 90 percent of US tobacco is grown, Tobacco's Hidden Children documents children getting sick while working with vomiting, nausea, headaches, and dizziness-symptoms consistent with acute nicotine poisoning. Children reported working excessively long hours without overtime pay, often in extreme heat, with no suitable protective gear. Many children said tractors sprayed pesticides in nearby fields. Many also described using dangerous tools and machinery, lifting heavy loads, and climbing several stories into barns to hang tobacco for drying, risking serious injuries and falls. The world's largest tobacco companies buy tobacco grown on US farms. However, none of the companies have child labor policies that sufficiently protect children from hazardous work on tobacco farms. Under US law, children working in agriculture can work longer hours, at younger ages, and in more hazardous conditions than children in any other industry. Children as young as 12 can be hired for unlimited hours outside of school hours on a farm of any size with parental permission, and there is no minimum age for children to work on small farms. Human Rights Watch calls on tobacco companies to enact policies to prohibit children from engaging in any tasks that risk their health and safety. Human Rights Watch also calls on the Obama administration and Congress to take action to protect children from the dangers of tobacco farming. Details: New York: HRW, 2014. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 28, 2014 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0514_UploadNew.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 132796 Keywords: Child Labor (U.S.)Child ProtectionTobacco Industry |
Author: International Institute for Legislative Affairs (ILA) Title: Tobacco Industry Interference in Kenya: Exposing the tactics Summary: The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in its preamble recognizes '..the need to be alert to any efforts of the tobacco industry to undermine or subvert tobacco control efforts and the need to be informed of the activities of the tobacco industry that have a negative impact on tobacco control efforts.' In Article 5.3 the FCTC goes on to urge parties to protect public health policies relating to tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law. This report is the first step for Kenya towards achieving the spirit of the FCTC in relation to the tobacco industry. The overall objective of this assessment is to better understand the TI presence, operations and tactics in Kenya as well as the policies and structures that exist in relation to countering tobacco industry interference. Section one of the report provides a background with a brief situational analysis of the status of the country in so far as tobacco control is concerned. It recognizes that the country signed and ratified the FCTC and domesticated the same through the Tobacco Control Act of 2007, and has gone ahead to develop a National Tobacco Control Action Plan (NTCAP) for the period 2010- 2015. These are clear indications of the Government's commitment to tobacco control. This section then provides a brief on the objectives of this assessment and the methodology used to collect the data. Section two gives an outline of tobacco farming, manufacture & trade and their impact on the country. We get to see that the total acreage covered by tobacco represents only 0.5% of the total arable land in Kenya. We also find out the estimated numbers of tobacco farmers and how they are linked to the tobacco companies as well as the socio- economic impact of tobacco farming including poverty, child labour and the health complications arising from tobacco farming. Under manufacture the report indicates that while there is an increase in the overall production, the dominance previously enjoyed by the British American Tobacco Kenya Limited (BATK) has been broken with the entry and growth of Mastermind Tobacco Kenya Limited (MTK). We also see that the consumer market in Kenya is continuously being flooded with locally manufactured tobacco products as well as imports in equal measure. These products range from smoke to non smoke and their real (as opposed to nominal) prices are actually reducing making them more affordable and accessible to the greater population; especially the youth who are the main targets of the industry. We also get to understand the contribution of this business to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and revenues collected. Section three interrogates the activities/ tactics and targets of the tobacco industry including Tobacco Advertising Promotion & Sponsorship (TAPS), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), interference with policy and legislative processes, intimidation & litigation, use of front groups, smuggling and illicit trade of tobacco products. In section four we get to understand the FCTC Article 5.3 implementation in the country by looking at the stakeholders in tobacco control and their specific roles, existing Government structures that address TI interference and the efforts that have been put in place to hold the industry accountable to its activities. It is clear from this section that TI information is inaccessible and sharing of the same is done on an ad hoc basis, creating a challenge in countering the industry tactics both by the Government and the other relevant stakeholders. Finally section five provides some conclusions and recommendations to the Government and other stakeholders for better understanding of the Tobacco Industry that will facilitate countering of their activities and effective implementation of Tobacco Control in Kenya. Details: Nairobi, Kenya: ILA, 2013. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2016 at: http://ilakenya.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ti_interference_in_Kenya.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Kenya URL: http://ilakenya.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ti_interference_in_Kenya.pdf Shelf Number: 140243 Keywords: Tobacco ControlTobacco Industry |
Author: Veng Ian, U Title: Update of Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products in New Zealand 2013 Summary: In 2013, ASH analysed the size of the illicit tobacco market in New Zealand as part of its update on a previous ASH report (Illicit Tobacco Trade: Monitoring and Mitigating Risk in New Zealand). The findings show illicit tobacco continued to form a minor part of the total tobacco market in New Zealand. They were presented in an extensive report titled Update of Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products in New Zealand 2013. In order to investigate claims by the tobacco industry that rising tobacco tax was encouraging the New Zealand illicit tobacco market, ASH’s Research and Policy Analyst conducted a follow on study to specifically look at the effect of tobacco tax on illicit tobacco trade in New Zealand. This original study, titled Tobacco Tax and the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products in New Zealand, found that illicit tobacco constituted 1.8–3.9% of total national tobacco consumption in NZ in 2013. This represents a minor increase compared to previous estimates from 2007–09. These results have been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. This, alongside analysis of annual tobacco returns figures filed by tobacco companies with the New Zealand Ministry of Health, show that tax increases enacted by the NZ Government since 2010 have forced manufacturers to focus on the production of cheap legal tobacco products, directly competing with and undercutting the demand for illicit tobacco products. Furthermore, locally grown illicit tobacco continues to remain a small isolated problem and with recent cuts in duty free tobacco allowance it is expected that overall illicit tobacco will remain a very small proportion of total tobacco consumption in NZ. Details: Auckland, NZ: ASH (Action on Smoking and Health in New Zealand), 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2017 at: http://www.ash.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ASH-NZ_llicit-Tobacco-in-New-Zealand-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.ash.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ASH-NZ_llicit-Tobacco-in-New-Zealand-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 140847 Keywords: Illegal Tobacco Trade Illicit Tobacco Illicit Trade Tobacco Industry |
Author: Tobacco Institute of India Title: The Threat of Growing Illegal Cigarette Trade in India: Adversely Impacting Legal Industry, Government Revenue and Livelihood Summary: Illegal Cigarette trade comprising international smuggled and locally manufactured tax-evaded cigarettes accounts for as much as 1/5th of the Cigarette Industry in India. Extremely high tax rates and constantly increasing tax rates on Cigarettes provide a profitable opportunity for tax evasion by illegal trade in both international smuggled and domestic tax evaded cigarettes Details: New Delhi: Tobacco Institute of India, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2017 at: http://www.tiionline.org/bookpublications/threat-of-growing-illegal-cigarette-trade-in-india-july-2015/ Year: 2015 Country: India URL: http://www.tiionline.org/bookpublications/threat-of-growing-illegal-cigarette-trade-in-india-july-2015/ Shelf Number: 146002 Keywords: Cigarette TaxesIllegal Cigarette TradeIllegal CigarettesIllegal Tobacco TradeIllegal TradeSmugglingTobacco Industry |
Author: European Parliament. Directorate-General for Internal Policies. Policy Department D Budgetary Affairs Title: Proceedings of the Workshop on Cigarette Smuggling Summary: This report analyses the relationship between EU policy and the illicit trade in tobacco products. We consider three EU policies: (1) the EC Strategy and the Action Plan to tackle the illicit trade in tobacco products, (2) the revised Tobacco Products Directive, and (3) the Agreements between the European Community, individual Member States and the four major tobacco companies. Details: Brussels: European Parliament, 2014. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2017 at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/workshop/join/2014/490681/IPOL-JOIN_AT(2014)490681_EN.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/workshop/join/2014/490681/IPOL-JOIN_AT(2014)490681_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 145019 Keywords: Cigarette SmugglingIllicit TradeIllicit Trade in TobaccoTobacco Industry |
Author: Ross, Hana Title: Approaches for Controlling Illicit Tobacco Trade - Nine Countries and the European Union Summary: An estimated 11.6% of the world cigarette market is illicit, representing more than 650 billion cigarettes a year and $40.5 billion in lost revenue (1). Illicit tobacco trade refers to any practice related to distributing, selling, or buying tobacco products that is prohibited by law, including tax evasion (sale of tobacco products without payment of applicable taxes), counterfeiting, disguising the origin of products, and smuggling (2). Illicit trade undermines tobacco prevention and control initiatives by increasing the accessibility and affordability of tobacco products, and reduces government tax revenue streams (2). The World Health Organization (WHO) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, signed by 54 countries, provides tools for addressing illicit trade through a package of regulatory and governing principles (2). As of May 2015, only eight countries had ratified or acceded to the illicit trade protocol, with an additional 32 needed for it to become international law (i.e., legally binding) (3). Data from multiple international sources were analyzed to evaluate the 10 most commonly used approaches for addressing illicit trade and to summarize differences in implementation across select countries and the European Union (EU). Although the WHO illicit trade protocol defines shared global standards for addressing illicit trade, countries are guided by their own legal and enforcement frameworks, leading to a diversity of approaches employed across countries. Continued adoption of the methods outlined in the WHO illicit trade protocol might improve the global capacity to reduce illicit trade in tobacco products. Data on approaches for addressing illicit trade were obtained from a combination of sources from individual countries, including literature searches, reports by international agencies and nongovernmental organizations, industry documents, online data sources by agencies that oversee enforcement, and interviews with in-country experts.* The following 10 most commonly identified approaches were evaluated: 1) licensing, 2) product markers, 3) national recordkeeping, 4) track-and-trace systems, 5) enforcement, 6) export tax, 7) tax harmonization, 8) agreements with tobacco industry, 9) promotion of public awareness, and 10) coordination among agencies. The status of these approaches was assessed in nine countries (Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom [UK]), and EU. These countries were selected based on data availability and participation in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). EU is described separately from its member states because current approaches used by individual member states may differ from the central EU action plan. Approaches were assessed as of January 2015. Details: Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2017 at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6420a3.htm Year: 2015 Country: International URL: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6420a3.htm Shelf Number: 147164 Keywords: Illegal Tobacco Trade Illicit Tobacco Illicit Trade Tobacco Industry |
Author: Framework Convention Alliance Title: The use of technology to combat the illicit tobacco trade Summary: A number of industries face a growing trend: new requirements to identify a consumer product in trade, to verify its authenticity and to trace it. The tobacco sector has joined these industries. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a World Health Organization treaty, identifies elimination of illicit trade in tobacco products as a key element of global tobacco control. The treaty requires in Article 15.2(b) that Parties should "consider, as appropriate, developing a practical tracking and tracing regime that would further secure the distribution system and assist in the investigation of illicit trade." Negotiations have begun on a supplementary treaty, or protocol, for combating illicit tobacco trade. In the context of the Article 15.2(b) requirement, this paper is intended to provide a reference source on existing systems. A tracking system allows authorities to monitor the movement of tobacco products. Tracing helps authorities pinpoint where tobacco was diverted into illegal channels. During the negotiations on the FCTC and the protocol, we have noticed many misconceptions about tracking and tracing. Sometimes systems were described as tracking and tracing but they did not allow totally, or in part, the monitoring of tobacco products at the international level. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concepts, to describe the current use of technology to combat illicit tobacco trade and to identify merits and limitations of these practices. This paper describes the use of codes and markings on tobacco packaging and tax stamps to allow a better monitoring of the tobacco trade. It also gives an overview of coding technologies that are used, or are in development, in the tobacco industry and other sectors. Details: Geneva, SWIT: FCTC, 2008?. 6 Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2017 at: www.fctc.org Year: 20080 Country: International URL: www.fctc.org Shelf Number: 147165 Keywords: Illegal Tobacco Trade Illicit Tobacco Illicit TradeTechnologyTobacco Industry |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: A Bitter Harvest: Child Labor and Human Rights Abuses on Tobacco Farms in Zimbabwe Summary: Zimbabwe is the world's sixth-largest tobacco producer, and the crop is the country's most valuable export commodity, generating US$933 million in 2016. Human RightsWatch found child labor and human rights abuses on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe risk undermining the sector's contributions to economic growth and improved livelihoods. A Bitter Harvest-based on interviews with 125 people working in tobacco farming-documents how children work in hazardous conditions on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe, often performing tasks that threaten their health and safety or interfere with their education. Child workers are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides, and many suffer symptoms consistent with nicotine poisoning from handling tobacco leaves. Adults working on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe also face serious health risks and labor exploitation. The government and companies have not provided small-scale farmers and hired workers with enough information, training, and equipment to protect themselves from nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure. Employers on some large-scale farms push hired workers to work excessive hours without overtime compensation, and deny or delay their wages, forcing workers to go weeks or months without pay. Tobacco grown in Zimbabwe is purchased by some of the largest multinational tobacco companies in the world. Human Rights Watch urges Zimbabwean authorities and tobacco companies to take urgent steps to end child labor and address the human rights abuses faced by small-scale farmers and hired workers sustaining the tobacco industry Details: New York: HRW, 2018. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2018 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Zimbabwe URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Shelf Number: 150385 Keywords: Child LaborChild MaltreatmentHuman Rights AbusesTobacco Industry |
Author: Center for the Study of Democracy Title: The Illicit Trade of Tobacco Projects Along the Balkan Route: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Romania Summary: The Balkans have long been a key route for various illicit goods and flows - drugs, firearms, human trafficking and human smuggling, etc. Since 2000 Greece became a key entry point and a source of 'illicit white' cigarettes. Upon entering Greece, the 'illicit whites' were further trafficked either to Italy and Western Europe or through Bulgaria and Romania to Central European markets. This was the onset of a resilient and hard to curb transnational criminal infrastructure. Apart from that Bulgarian organized crime is extensively involved in setting up clandestine factories for production of 'counterfeited' or 'illicit white' brands in various countries across the EU. Furthermore Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania are the four top-ranking in the EU in terms of levels of perceived corruption according to the Control of Corruption indicator of the World Governance Indictors (WB, 2014), as well as according to the most recent Corruption Perception Index (Transparency International, 2016). Against this background, the current initiative aims are threefold: 1) to bring to light the institutional gaps impeding the effective response to the illicit trade of tobacco products and propose a method for evaluating institution's performance at regional level; 2) to examine the role of corruption as crime enabling factor for illicit trade of tobacco products, as well as suggest a method to assess it on regional level; 3) to advocate for more effective, evidence-based legislative and policy actions, and to put pressure on the relevant authorities in Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania to step up their efforts to curb these organised crime activities and related corruption. The research initiative The illicit trade of tobacco products along the Balkan route: addressing institutional gaps and corruption is led by CSD group and is among the 32 projects, selected from more than 200 proposals in the first funding round of PMI IMPACT- a global initiative dedicated to support fight against illicit trade and related crimes. The research team involves experts from Bulgaria (CSD), Italy (Intellegit), Romania (SCE), as well as three independent criminology researchers from Greece. Over the next two years, the project will elaborate tools for performance evaluation and corruption risk assessment of law enforcement and revenue authorities with regards to illegal tobacco trade. Key points - The national tobacco policies in Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania reflect the main trends and developments set by the international and EU regulatory mechanisms. However each country faces different challenges in the implementation due to differences in the institutional setup and administrative capacity. - The tobacco sector in the four countries has underwent very similar evolution, where following the liberalisation, the Big Tobacco producers hold between 80 % and 90 % of the market, although local producers still maintain their presence on national level. - The peak of the ITTP in the four countries was triggered by the economic crisis in 2008 - 2010, which led to 4 to 5 times increase in the consumption of illicit tobacco products. However, while Bulgaria and Italy eventually managed to stifle their illicit markets, Greece and Romania continue to face high levels of ITTP. - Greece, Italy and Romania are among the top five transit points in the EU and Bulgaria is an important regional transit point. There is a long history of well-established collaboration between the criminal networks of the four countries. - Three major categories of risks and vulnerabilities have been identified with regards to ITTP 1) Risks deriving from the overall political, institutional and legal environment in each country; 2) Risks related to the licit tobacco sector; 3) Risks related to the crime context in each country Details: Sofia: CSD, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief No. 80: Accessed October 5, 2018 at: http://www.csd.bg/artShow.php?id=18053 Year: 2018 Country: Europe URL: http://www.csd.bg/artShow.php?id=18053 Shelf Number: 152838 Keywords: CigarettesIllegal Tobacco Trade Illicit Tobacco Illicit TradeOrganized CrimeTobacco Industry |
Author: Bate, Roger Title: Smoking Out Illicit Trade: How Some Policies Intended to Limit Smoking Drive Illegal Trade Summary: The World Health Organization (WHO) states that smoking cigarettes is the largest cause of preventable premature death globally. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into force in 2005 with an aim to lower the death toll. FCTC has adopted a policy of encouraging developing nations to follow the demand reduction strategy of mature markets in raising taxes and introducing and then expanding regulation on tobacco products. In many cases such policies result in the rise of illicit tobacco (either counterfeits or legally produced smuggled cigarettes), especially where policy changes are implemented rapidly and enforcement capacity is limited. According to KPMG, illicit tobacco makes up roughly 10 percent of the global cigarette market, and the figure is rising. This paper reports on a novel empirical assessment of smoker opinion and availability of illicit whites (smuggled legally produced cigarettes), which shows a sizeable minority of smokers bought illicit whites in most cases because they are far cheaper. It is also established (across 10 cities) that illicit whites are easily available in most markets, even in the wealthy markets of London and Singapore. Low education levels are correlated with widespread illicit white availability. Details: Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute, 2016. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2019 at: https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Smoking-out-illicit-trade.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Smoking-out-illicit-trade.pdf Shelf Number: 156739 Keywords: Illegal Cigarettes Illegal Tobacco Trade Illicit Tobacco Illicit Trade Organized Crime Tax Evasion Tobacco Industry |
Author: Swedwatch Title: Smokescreens in the Supply Chain: The Impacts of the Tobacco Industry on Human Rights and the Environment in Bangladesh Summary: This report offers an in-depth study into the global tobacco industry's impacts on human rights and the environment, and presents a case study from cultivation areas across Bangladesh. Findings include adverse impacts on farmers, their families, on valuable natural forest resources, and on communities living adjacent to tobacco leaf operations run by one of the United Kingdom's largest companies, British American Tobacco plc. (BAT). BAT and other multinational tobacco companies are expanding their tobacco leaf operations in developing countries under the same conditions that underpin the sector's links to human rights challenges and environmental degradation. The purpose of this report is to support and stimulate constructive dialogue on how tobacco companies can improve their sustainability and human rights work across global supply chains in order to protect people and the environment. Recommendations are aimed at tobacco companies, their investors, for politicians and decision-makers in the areas of trade and sustainable development, development cooperation, and public health, and also for tobacco consumers. For vulnerable BAT contract farmers, tobacco cultivation is uncertain: on the one hand it carries high investment costs and risks, and on the other hand there exists the potential of gaining high profits. Swedwatch's analysis shows that BAT - through the use of flawed contract formats and uncertain promises - contributes to over indebtedness that traps many farmers in a cycle of poverty. Because of their difficulty in settling loans and interest payments, many farmers in reality end up in a situation of dependency on BAT which Swedwatch considers raises the risk of the farmers being in a situation equivalent to that of bonded labour. In Bandarban district, part of the closed and militarised Chittagong Hill Tracts region, BAT initiated its first test plantations in the midst of an on-going armed conflict in the 1980s. As part of the Government of Bangladesh’s (GoB) counterinsurgency, indigenous people were forcibly removed from their land, which was redistributed to 400,000 Bengali settlers by the government. In spite of Bandarban's salient human rights risks, high poverty levels, and large groups of disadvantaged indigenous peoples and internally displaced persons, BAT has never conducted a human rights risk assessment in consultation with farmers and community members. In communication with Swedwatch, with reference to its Bangladeshi operations, BAT's Head of Sustainability and Reputation Management stated that, globally, 'BAT does not consider any particular tobacco-growing location to be of higher risk than another.' Swedwatch findings indicate that the following areas require urgent attention: - In contrast to BAT's assurance that there have been zero reported incidences of child labour across its Bangladeshi supply chain, Swedwatch's study shows that child labour is widespread in BAT’s tobacco fields. Both farmers' and labourers' children are working long hours in cultivation and leaf processing. This keeps many of them out of school. - Work hazards in tobacco farming include nicotine absorption through the skin during harvesting, and exposure to pesticides without protective equipment. Negative effects of tobacco work on children's and adults' health and wellbeing are critical and widespread. - BAT's inability to control farmers' sourcing of wood from natural forests for curing tobacco leaves in purpose-built kilns, contributes to deforestation and degradation of unique biodiversity values in Bandarban. In response to Swedwatch's presented study findings, BAT Headquarters emphasised the benefits from tobacco farming and stated that the vast majority of the findings are 'matters which the company does not recognise as happening on their contract farms and are factually incorrect'. In support of its statement, BAT shared a large amount of company data and a number of commissioned studies on socio-economic and environmental impacts in its tobacco supply chain. BAT added that if Swedwatch were able to identify specific farms where alleged incidences have taken place, the company would investigate further and, if appropriate, take remedial action. BAT's responses to the study findings can be found in Sections 4, 6 and 7 of this report, as well as in Annex 3: 'Analysis of BAT's Human Rights & Environmental Measures in the Supply Chain'. The company's reactions to the publication of the full report is published on Swedwatch's website www.swedwatch.org. Details: Stockholm, Sweden: Swedwatch, 2016. 120p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2019 at:https://swedwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/bat_81_15aug_ensida_uppdaterad_version_160816.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Bangladesh URL: https://www.business-humanrights.org/it/node/138718?dateorder=dateasc Shelf Number: 158110 Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Supply Chain Tobacco Industry |