The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), a non-profit organization advocating for the rights of farmers and farm workers in several Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and more, has issued a challenge to the World Health Organization (WHO).
FAIFA has urged the worldwide farming community to unite against the World Health Organization's (WHO) initiative of "Grow Food Not Tobacco," which advocates for substituting tobacco farming with alternative crops.
In a recent press release on Friday, FAIFA highlighted that the WHO's focus this year revolves around agriculture and sustainable farming practices to support the food industry.
FAIFA has called upon farmers across the globe to challenge the WHO's claim that tobacco cultivation negatively impacts sustainable agriculture and contributes to the global food crisis. The association pointed out that tobacco farming occupies a mere 0.25% of the total cultivated land on a global scale.
According to the association, "We hold the belief that the World Health Organization (WHO) should not interfere in the realm of agriculture."
FAIFA expressed its concern by stating, "The WHO has failed to conduct extensive experiments or studies to ascertain the feasibility of replacing tobacco with equally profitable alternative crops in similar agroclimatic and soil conditions. The lack of research in this area raises apprehensions about the agenda pursued by the WHO."
Javare Gowda, the president of the Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), expressed his disagreement with the unscientific statements and recommendations made by WHO officials. He extended an invitation, encouraging them to visit the tobacco cultivation lands for a minimum of 30 days or for however long they wish to experience the challenging conditions firsthand.
Gowda issued a challenge to the officials to replace tobacco crops with alternative crops that are equally financially viable and resilient. In the event of their failure to do so, he proposed that they should close their offices in the country and depart, as their actions are perceived to be causing economic losses to farmers. This demand, according to Gowda, is a reasonable one.
