British American Tobacco - Independent research

Global supply chains have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, such as in relation to their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and impacts on biodiversity, climate change, rural poverty, food security, child labour, and working conditions. Some organisations have chosen to single out tobacco cultivation in particular when discussing the risks and impacts of various agricultural practices.

To help contribute to this debate and the body of evidence relating to these allegations, we have commissioned independent research to examine the impacts of tobacco growing and the role it plays in rural livelihoods. The research was conducted by IMC Worldwide , one of the world’s leading international development consultancies, and took place between September 2018 and May 2019, consisting of two key phases:

• Literature review: a critical review of the published literature and evidence base relating to the environmental impacts, social effects and occupational health and safety risks associated with tobacco growing.
• Country case studies: field research in three contrasting tobacco-growing countries – Bangladesh, Brazil and Kenya – involving a total of 257 interviews with different types of farmers, including tobacco farmers contracted to BAT and to other companies, farmers who cultivate other crops, and tobacco farm labourers, as well as a small number of other local stakeholders.

A study on the impacts of tobacco growing and role it plays in rural livelihoods, IMC Worldwide (2019). (3.2 mb) 

IMC gave us the opportunity to respond to the main conclusions and so the report includes a section on ‘BAT’s response’, as well as a foreword from Alan Davy, Operations Director, who explains: “We hope this research will help contribute to the debate on the impacts of tobacco growing, and the wider global focus on sustainable development. It is also an essential part of our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement. It can help us, and the wider industry, to gain a deeper understanding of the key issues and identify where improvements can be made.”

Previous research

The IMC research provides an update to a study we commissioned in 2012, conducted by Development Delivery International (DDI). This also comprised a literature review and field research in Bangladesh, Brazil and Uganda.

The role of tobacco growing in rural livelihoods – Rethinking the debate around tobacco supply reduction, DDI (2012). (4.3 mb)