Tobacco deforestation

The rise of tobacco as a key cash crop in Zimbabwe has, however, had consequences, most notably for the country’s forests.

Zimbabwe loses an estimated 262,000 hectares of forest annually and 15–20% of this loss is due to tobacco, according to Violet Matoko, a spokesperson for the country’s Forestry Commission.

In Zimbabwe, tobacco contributes directly to the expansion of the agricultural at the expense of primary forest.

Perhaps the most important factor contributing to deforestation, though, is the use of indigenous trees for curing. Curing usually involves smoking the tobacco leaf over fires fuelled by trees such as msasa (Brachystegia spiciformis), munhondo (Julbernardia globiflora), mopani (Colophospermum mopane) and mukwa (Pterocarpus angolensis).

In an attempt to reverse the tree loss, Zimbabwe introduced a tobacco levy in 2015. Contractor farmers now have to contribute 1.5% of their tobacco revenue to the Sustainable Afforestation Association. The association uses the money in part to support the establishment of woodlots that can curb indigenous tree loss in the tobacco-growing regions of northern and eastern Zimbabwe.

The amount collected is also used to fund research into alternative methods for curing tobacco. In 2021, the levy generated US$8.8 million.

Eucalyptus seedlings are distributed to farmers for free, with the commission offering free training and assistance under its Tobacco Wood Energy Programme to promote planting.

Eucalyptus disadvantage is that it taps into underground water sources and use up all available water, and do not sustainably co-exist with other plant species. Therefore a need to look to other species.

The Government, accordingly could also start by providing villagers and farmers with fruit trees while making sure they get a market for the produce.

If there is incentivise in growing of trees, especially fruit trees, and making sure the villagers understand the benefit, the villagers will not hesitate to grow them.

Fast-growing trees such as apple-ring acacia (faidherbia albida), fever tree (vachellia xanthophloea), munhondo (julbernardia globiflora) and species of the brachystegia genus can replace the eucalyptus because, for Zimbabwe, eucalyptus is not necessarily the best option.

Zimbabwe signed afforestation protocols at the COP26 UN climate talks in 2021 but there are fears that the government has not done enough to implement that pledge. At the same COP, the government also committed to planting 25 million trees in 2022. Finally, it pledged to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 40% per capita by 2030 amid calls for a multi-sectoral approach towards achieving the targets.

While the Sustainable Afforestation Association has managed to grow 22,000 hectares of eucalyptus to partially offset forest lost due to tobacco farming, harvesting of these trees has not yet started to bring extensive benefits to farmers, hence the continued loss of indigenous trees for the curing of tobacco leaf.

Every tobacco farmer in Zimbabwe is required by law to plant at least 1/3 of a hactre for every hactre of tobacco planted. This translate to about 800 gum trees for every hactre of tobacco planted. Growers of Tobacco are encouraged to comply, therefore saving our environment and protecting it for our future generations.