For a tobacco-free world: Two farmers in Brazil have decided to stop growing tobacco. In our new videos, they explain why they took this step and what organic farming means to them.

Next week in Geneva, the focus will be on how tobacco use and its devastating consequences can be further reduced worldwide. From 17 to 22 November 2025, representatives of more than 180 signatory states to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) will meet there for the eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP11).

The convention not only contains health policy measures, but also measures aimed at reducing tobacco cultivation. In Article 17, the contracting parties have committed themselves to supporting alternative livelihoods to tobacco cultivation. Brazil was strongly committed to this until 2021, when the government put the programme on hold. The current government now wants to resume these acitivites.

This is despite the fact that Brazil has been the world’s largest exporter of tobacco leaf for many years. About a quarter of the raw tobacco imported by Germany is produced there. Smallholder farms in southern Brazil in particular grow tobacco – with little profit and at great health risks.

Two farmers have left this business. They now produce food according to ecological principles: milk, lettuce and vegetables are sold through a cooperative and at a local market. In short video clips, they provide insight into their decision and their tobacco-free livelihood.

„I changed for my son“, explains Eliane Roloff Rutz.

„I think, I’m on the rigth track“, concludes Carlos Fischer.

Many thanks to our colleagues at the programme CAPA de Agroecologia of the Fundação Luterana de Diaconia (FLD) in Brazil, with whom we collaborated on these videos.

"The feeling of not having to work around pesticides anymore, oh my God, you just can't put a price on that." Eliane Roloff Rutz

World Map of Change: Alternative livelihoods to tobacco growing