British American Tobacco has a unique relationship with some 250,000 tobacco farmer's worldwide, providing seed and advice on all aspects of crop production and environmental best practice.  Our relationship with these farmers enables us to be very proactive in helping them to address environmental and social issues associated with tobacco growing, through our Social Responsibility in Tobacco Production program. 

Our Leaf business is large, with Group purchases annually of some 537,000 tons of leaf tobacco. Our companies operate leaf growing programs through which they provide direct agronomy support to farmers if it is not otherwise available. We purchase on average some 65 per cent of our leaf through these programs, mainly through directly contracted farmers, and about 35 per cent on average is purchased on the open market. In 2006, our companies operated 22 leaf programs in 22 countries, covering some 254,400 hectares under cultivation. Over 82 per cent of the volume of our leaf purchases is from farmers and suppliers in emerging economies.  

Our leaf programs mean that of all the major tobacco companies, we probably have the closest links in the industry to some 250,000 farmers who grow tobacco.  This has enabled us to be very proactive in addressing relevant social and environmental issues associated with tobacco growing and processing, through our Social Responsibility in Tobacco Production program.

Our approach over many years has been to work through dedicated staff in the field alongside farmers, many of whom are small producers in scattered rural communities. We train, advice and support farmers, providing seed and advice on all aspects of crop production.  Our approach benefits the environment and benefits both the farmers and us in improving crop yields and quality.

Our Social Responsibility in Tobacco Production program includes integrated crop management; soil and water conservation; reducing the use of agrochemicals; environment, health and safety standards in Green Leaf Threshing operations (tobacco leaf processing); eliminating exploitative child labor; encouraging alternatives to wood in tobacco curing and sponsoring and promoting forestation programs to enable those farmers who require do require wood for curing to obtain it from renewable sources.

You may be surprised to learn that since the 1970s, we have so far been responsible for the planting of 281,800 hectares of managed woodlands, representing some 588 million trees growing today (2007).

Over the last three years we have worked to extend the approach embodied in our Social Responsibility in Tobacco Production program to all our leaf suppliers, to reach those from whom we buy leaf on the open market.  We have also worked to encourage other manufacturers to adopt a similar approach.  This initiative is gaining considerable support.

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Source: British American Tobacco Corp. Ltd. Annual Report - July, 2007