Special Report | ITGA Africa Meeting Puts Sustainability Center Stage amid Global Tobacco Challenges

Key Points 

·Sustainability was the main theme at the ITGA Africa regional meeting in Lilongwe, Malawi (July 2–5, 2025). 

·Malawi’s tenancy labor rate fell from 74% in 2021 to 39% after employment act reforms. 

·Tobacco cultivation in Malawi reached 174.44 million kg in 2025, but prices declined from last year. 

·Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest child labor prevalence at 21.5%, mostly in agriculture. 

·Global cigarette consumption continues to decline sharply in major markets like the U.S. and Japan. 

·Rapid growth in novel nicotine products (such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches) is dampened by regulatory pressures, and many of these products do not require leaf tobacco. 

·The new EU due diligence directive (effective 2028) will require strict human rights and environmental checks throughout supply chains. 

·Calls for crop diversification and climate-resilient farming models grow stronger to secure farmer livelihoods.

[Taco Tuinstra, 2Firsts] Sustainability featured prominently during the International Tobacco Growers Association’s (ITGA) Africa regional meeting, which took place July 2-5, 2025, in Lilongwe, Malawi. Experts from various backgrounds shared their insights into the topic, which in the context of tobacco cultivation includes issues such as agricultural labor practices, human rights and environmental protection. The theme is relevant especially in Africa, where tobacco merchants contract with thousands of smallholder farmers and export their leaf to highly regulated markets such as the European Union. 

As an official media partner of ITGA, 2Firsts reported on the Africa regional meeting, providing timely insights and comprehensive updates for global readers interested in tobacco cultivation, sustainability practices, and market trends.

Tackling Labor Issues and Regulatory Pressure

 The discussions were also well-timed. Stephen Nyabadza of Universal Leaf reminded the Lilongwe audience that last year’s Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control urged signatories to strengthen policies regarding the environmental impact of tobacco production and consumption, including working conditions and the use of less harmful chemicals. Whereas the FCTC administrators have hitherto focused primarily on manufactured products, the treaty’s impact will now increasingly be felt at the farm level, as well.

Michiel Reerink, international corporate affairs director at Alliance One International, described a global shift from guiding principles to regulations, with documents such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct giving way to actual laws and directives at the national and international levels.

 For example, the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which will start taking effect from 2028, requires companies to perform risk assessments on the actual and potential human rights and environmental impacts not only of their own operations but also of the activities of their subsidiaries and business partners throughout the supply chain.

Child Labor and “Decent Work” in Focus 

During the ITGA meeting, Albert Changaya, CEO of the Agricultural Research and Extension Trust (ARET), updated participants on Malawi’s progress in reducing the traditional practice of tenancy labor, which the government wants to abolish. According to ARET, the prevalence of tenancy labor in Malawi has dropped from 74 percent in 2021—when the government amended its employment act—to 39 percent. To accelerate the transition, ARET recommends improving access to loans and promoting financial literacy among both farmers and workers, along with income diversification.

The Eliminating Child Labor in Tobacco Growing Foundation’s (ECLT) Innocent Mugwagwa sketched the challenge of combatting child labor. According to the ECLT, Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest prevalence of child labor (21.5 percent), with most of it occurring in agriculture. To address the problem, the group recommends reducing the dependence of small farms on unpaid family labor by improving productivity and diversifying income sources, among other measures.

Gracious Ndalama of the International Labor Organization (ILO) spoke on the topic of “decent work,” which includes a fair income, safe working conditions and prospects for personal development. In 2018, the ILO governing body adopted a strategy to address decent work deficits in the tobacco sector. Key areas for action, according to Ndalama, are strengthening social dialogue, improving working conditions and raising awareness.

Shifting Markets and the Rise of Novel Nicotine Products 

The topic of sustainability resonates strongly in Malawi, which as the world’s most tobacco-dependent economy is vulnerable to the impact of climate change, market fluctuations and the shift from leaf-based products toward electronic nicotine delivery devices.

As Christopher John Day of Euromonitor International pointed out, global cigarette volumes have been under strain, with particularly steep declines in cigarette consumption in prominent markets such as the United States and Japan, partially offset by growth in the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, the huge growth potential for novel nicotine products—many of which do not require leaf tobacco—is dampened by increased regulatory pressure in many markets, according to Pablo Cano Trilla of Tamarind Intelligence. 

While tobacco growing countries have been ramping up production to fill global leaf shortages in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise in volumes is likely to impact growers’ per-kilo earnings. Tobacco cultivation in Malawi, for example, has increased for three years in a row, reaching 174.44 million kg (of all types) in 2025, according to ITGA’s Manager Analyses Ivan Genov. However, prices this season have been lower than last year’s.

Calls for Diversification and Climate-Resilient Farming

 In light of such developments, Charity Musonzo, director of trade in goods at Malawi’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, stressed the importance of crop diversification, citing efforts to promote supplemental value chains such as soy, groundnuts and bananas, along with initiatives to boost climate resilience, such as irrigation.

Her view was echoed by Brian Kapotwe, country program coordinator of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, who urged a transition from low-input, subsistence farming to commercial, climate-resistant systems. Key drivers of this transformation, he noted, should be mechanization and irrigation, climate-smart practices and value addition, along with youth inclusion and job creation.

Field Visits: Insights from Malawi’s Tobacco Auctions and Research Centers 

In addition to providing updates on the global market, ITGA offered participants in its Africa meeting an opportunity to experience the Malawi tobacco market firsthand. On the second day of the gathering, delegates visited the AHL Tobacco Sales floors in Lilongwe and observed sales during the peak of Malawi’s marketing season. 

The group then visited the ARET campus, where CEO Changaya provided a comprehensive overview of the trusts history and its current role in supporting sustainable crop production. Highlights included a tobacco clinic featuring findings from ARET’s latest publication on recommended pesticides, and a detailed presentation on seed development, handling and global institutional partnerships that contribute to improving productivity and crop resilience for Malawian farmers.

ITGA Members Discuss Record Harvests and Regional Growth 

The afternoon featured a closed session for ITGA Members. Reports highlighted record-breaking volumes in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and double-digit growth in Malawi and Tanzania.

ITGA and 2Firsts Partnership

Founded in 1984, the International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) is a non-profit organization established by representatives of tobacco growers from multiple countries worldwide. It aims to advocate for growers, balance regulatory objectives with farmers’ livelihoods, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

2Firsts is a global leading media and consulting organization specializing in the next-generation tobacco products (NGP) sector. It is committed to connecting the global industry chain through professional reporting, in-depth research, and compliance services, advancing tobacco harm reduction (THR) and industry sustainability.

In April 2025, ITGA and 2Firsts officially signed a memorandum of understanding during the ITGA Americas Regional Meeting held in San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina, launching a strategic partnership. Their collaboration covers four core areas, supporting global growers and facilitating cooperation and transformation between traditional and next-generation products while promoting global market communication and shared development:

● Official Media Partner: 2Firsts becomes ITGA’s official media partner, participating in and reporting on global meetings and activities to enhance industry influence.

● Co-Organizing Conferences: Both parties will jointly organize the ITGA Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting to create a high-quality dialogue platform focusing on cultivation, trends, and policy changes.

● Greater China Representative: 2Firsts serves as ITGA’s exclusive local contact representative in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), facilitating deeper regional cooperation.

● Joint Research & Publications: The two will co-develop and release industry blue books and market research reports, providing authoritative insights and forward-looking analysis.

To learn more about the collaboration between ITGA and 2Firsts, click here.