Malawi, Tobacco & U s. Global connections

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1 Global connections Getting started 1. Our global connections 2 2. Where does tobacco grow? 4 Main activities 3. Tobacco: the winners and losers 7 4. Tobacco farming in Malawi Tobacco farmers simulation game 17 1

2 1. Our To find out about the many connections we have to people around the world. To consider the contribution of different cultures, values and beliefs to our lives. Each pupil needs a copy of the Globingo worksheet see page 3 Inflatable globe Ask the pupils to form a circle. They should take it in turns to throw the inflatable globe to each other. When they catch the globe, they should name a country and say what their connection to it is. For example, they have a relative who lives there or they have visited the country. Next give each pupil a Globingo sheet. They must complete the sheet by moving around the room and finding a person to answer each of the questions. They should write down the name of the person and their answer. We have many connections through the things we eat, wear and use. Bananas we eat in the UK are imported mainly from South America (Columbia, Coast Rica, and Ecuador). Most of our clothes are made from cotton grown in, for example, China, India, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan; and manufactured in, for example, Turkey, Bangladesh and China. Mobile phones contain minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, China, and Australia and are manufactured in China. Try and challenge any stereotypes: rice is eaten in the UK and in many countries all over the world. English, Welsh and Gaelic might be native languages in the UK but many other languages are also spoken. What we eat, the music we listen to and the sports we enjoy are all influenced by people and places all over the world. Individually or in pairs, pupils can map out all the global connections they have around the world. These could be mapped out on a world map. Once the activity is complete, share and discuss the pupils answers using the reflection points (right column). 2

3 Worksheet Globingo Find someone who... Can name a vegetable which is grown in another country: Name a language spoken in the UK: Knows a country where rice is eaten: Is wearing an item of clothing made in another country: Has a mobile phone: Has a relative who lives in a different country: Has eaten a banana today: Can name a famous singer or sportsperson from a country in Africa: Likes to eat food from another country: 3

4 2. Where does tobacco grow? To find out where tobacco is grown around the world. Photos of tobacco leaves and a cigarette see page 5 Large world map displayed or on whiteboard Tobacco farming countries worksheet see page 6 Did anything surprise you in this lesson? Which countries produce the most tobacco? What could they be growing instead? What impact might this have on the people who live in these countries? Most of the tobacco products / cigarettes sold around the world are manufactured and sold through 5 big companies. These companies are in the UK, USA, China and Japan. Show pupils the photo of the tobacco plant and ask them what it is. Do they know what it is used for? Show the photo of a cigarette if necessary. Now ask them if they know any countries in which tobacco is grown. A full list can be found at Give every pupil or pair a country card (from the Tobacco Farming Countries worksheet). They must take it in turns to come up and find their country on the map. They should place a pin on the map or a mark on the whiteboard. Ask the group what they notice about the map. Tobacco is grown in at least 124 countries all over the world, including the USA and various European countries. Can the class find Malawi? Malawi is one of the top producers of tobacco. Display the map on the Tobacco Atlas and use the questions in 'Reflection and evaluation' (see right) to hold a plenary session. See The Tobacco Atlas 4

5 Photos tobacco leaves and a cigarette Flickr Flickr 5

6 Worksheet Tobacco farming countries Cut these out and give each person or pair a country. USA Canada Mexico Brazil Argentina Bulgaria Turkey Spain Poland Tanzania Malawi Zambia Kenya India China Indonesia 6

7 3. Tobacco: winners and losers To question who are the winners and losers in tobacco production. To explore the power relationships and politics of tobacco production. Each group needs a role card about a part of the tobacco production chain see pages 8-9 Agree and disagree signs Recording template per pair or pupil see page 10 Place the I agree and I disagree signs on opposite walls in the room, allowing sufficient space in between for pupils to stand and move around freely. Explain that you are going to read out a statement (see right) and each pupil must decide if they agree or disagree with it. If they strongly agree with what was read out, they should position themselves close to the I agree sign. If they strongly disagree, they should position themselves close to the I disagree sign. Depending on how strongly they feel they should find a space on the imaginary line that connects the agree and disagree statements. If they cannot decide or simply do not know, they are asked to stand in the middle. (You can start the exercise with a simple sentence like dogs are better than cats ) Once pupils have positioned themselves, ask for a volunteer to share with the rest of the group why they chose their particular position. Next ask a volunteer from the other side of the imaginary line. Ask the pupils to respond to their classmates. Can they convince someone to change their position? Go through each of the statements following the same procedure. I have never thought about who makes the cigarettes that are sold in Scotland. People that work on tobacco farms in Africa make lots of money. Tobacco companies want young people to start smoking. Brainstorm all the people involved in the making and manufacturing of cigarettes. Explain that they are going to find out about the different jobs in the supply chain and who benefits and who loses from the process of making and selling cigarettes. You need 7 groups so that each group can find out and present one part of the chain. Using their information cards they need to discuss who is involved in their part of the supply chain. What risks are there? What profits or benefits are there? Then they must prepare a 1 minute presentation about their part of the supply chain. Starting with the growers, they should present their findings. In pairs or individually they should make notes on the template as they listen to the presentations. Discuss the following: Who has the power within the supply chain? Who controls it? Is it fair? How do they feel about what they have found out? By the end of the activity it should be apparent that big tobacco companies control all parts of the supply chain dictating prices and costs, and working hard to keep their products on the shelves. In Europe, tobacco use is in decline so big tobacco companies need to find new markets. They are now targeting young people in sub- Saharan Africa and parts of South East Asia. Repeat the starter activity and encourage pupils to think about how their views and understanding have changed. 7

8 Worksheet Role cards Farmer 1 You are a tobacco farmer. Your job is to tend to the tobacco plants and harvest the leaves when they are ready. The tobacco leaves need to be sprayed with pesticides so that they stay healthy and are not destroyed by insects or other pests. During busy times your children come and help out on the farm. You never know how much money you can sell the tobacco for as the price changes all the time and it is hard to negotiate a better price. The buyers can just buy someone else s tobacco not yours. If you can t sell the tobacco your family will go hungry and you won t be able to pay your loans for the pesticides. Trader You are a buyer on the floor of the Mzuzu trading house. You work for Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company which is owned by Universal Corporation one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world. The tobacco is graded and priced and you negotiate with the growers and growers associations to agree a price for the sale. Your company also sells pesticides to the farmers through a loan system which they repay after they have sold their tobacco. Farmer 2 You are a tobacco farmer. Once you have harvested your tobacco leaves, you need to dry them out before they can be sold. You collect wood to burn so that you can dry or cure the tobacco leaves. Once the leaves are dry, you take them to Mzuzu to sell at the trading house. You never know how much money you can sell the tobacco for as the price changes all the time and it is hard to negotiate a better deal. However, growing tobacco is the only option you have to earn money and look after your family and when the price is high you earn good money. Factory worker 1 The tobacco from Malawi is taken by ship to one of Universal Corporation s processing factories in the USA. You work in a factory. Your job is to prepare the tobacco so that it is ready to be made into cigarettes. The factory is open 24 hours a day, six days a week. You are provided with the necessary protective clothing for handling tobacco leaf. No cigarettes are made. The tobacco is just processed for other companies. 8

9 Worksheet Role cards Factory worker 2 The processed tobacco from the factory is then sold to a big tobacco company such as Philip Morris International. You work in a factory in the Netherlands which manufactures cigarettes. There are factories in many parts of Europe. Other ingredients are added to the tobacco and they are made into cigarettes. Many of these are harmful and include arsenic, tar and ammonia. They are added to enhance the smoking experience. The cigarettes are packed into boxes ready for sale. Shop worker The boxes of cigarettes are transported to Scotland where they are sold. You work in a news agents which sells cigarettes. In Scotland and the UK, there are lots of laws around how you can sell cigarettes and tobacco. They are in plain packaging, have pictures showing how people become ill through smoking and are hidden away in shops. Tobacco companies pay large sums of money to lobby politicians and decision makers to keep their products on the shelves. Cigarettes are very expensive. A large percentage of the price is tax which goes to the government. Smoker You are a smoker. You started smoking because your friends did and now you can t quit. It is very expensive and you can t really afford to smoke. Smoking is one of the largest factors contributing to poor health in Scotland. One quarter of all deaths are because of smoking. Health issues linked to smoking cost the Scottish economy 1.1 billion every year. Laws restricting where you can smoke and the increased costs has reduced the number of people who smoke. 9

10 Winners and losers Recording template Make notes Think about how you feel about each role Complete the face... How does it make you feel? Angry Surprised Happy Draw your own! 1. Farmer 1 2. Farmer 2 3. Buyer 5. Factory worker 1 4. Factory worker 2 6. Shop worker 7. Smoker 10

11 4. Tobacco farming in Malawi To explore what life is like for a tobacco farmer in Malawi. To reflect on who holds the power in the tobacco industry. Next, give the groups the Malawi fact file sheets. They should look through the infographics and discuss the facts about Malawi. What does it tell you about Malawi as a country? Try and answer the questions on the group worksheet. 1 set of the tobacco farming mystery statements cut into strips per group see pages Group worksheet, 1 per group see page 14 Malawi fact file sheets 1 set per group see pages Introduce Masamba, a tobacco farmer in Malawi. Explain that, in groups, they have to answer the question: Why does Masamba have trouble sleeping? Use the questions below to lead a plenary session: What have you learned about life for tobacco farmers in Malawi? Who decides what Masamba will be paid for his tobacco crop? Does it seem fair? What are some of the problems for Masamba and his family? What challenges does Malawi face? Are there any possible solutions? For further information, ASH Scotland have a fact sheet on tobacco farming page 12 Give each group a set of the tobacco farming mystery statements. These are clues to answering the question. They must read the clues and decide which ones will help them answer the question and which ones are not relevant. They should then use the relevant statements to create a series of points to answer the question Why does Masamba have trouble sleeping? They should write their answer on the group worksheet. 11

12 Tobacco farming mystery statements Masamba is 45 years old. Masamba has a brother who lives in Spain. Masamba has 7 children. Masamba lives in Malawi. Average life expectancy in Malawi is 63. Masamba grows maize, tobacco and some vegetables. Primary education is free in Malawi. Medicines like paracetamol can cost a lot of money in Malawi. Tobacco pesticides give Masamba bad headaches all the time so he has to take paracetamol. Two million farmers in Malawi grow tobacco. At least 78,000 children in Malawi work in the tobacco fields rather than attending schools. Masamba works from sunrise to sunset everyday on his farm. 12

13 Tobacco farming mystery statements Masamba s farm is quite small. Most of it is taken up with tobacco, which is a cash crop to earn money for his family. In Malawi, everyone s tobacco is bought by one company. They collect the tobacco once it has been harvested and dried. Last year Masamba s tobacco crop earned him 300. It took him 9 months to grow, harvest and cure his crop. The price they earn for the tobacco changes all the time. Masamba must buy expensive chemicals so that his tobacco grows well. Sometimes Masamba and his family don t have enough to eat. Masamba doesn t want his children to be tobacco farmers when they grow up. The price of tobacco changes a lot and farmers have no control over it. Malawi is very dependent on growing and selling tobacco. Masamba must buy expensive chemicals to treat his crops before he is paid for the harvest he must hope he is paid enough to cover his costs. 13

14 Group worksheet Activity 1 Why is Masamba having trouble sleeping? We think Masamba is having trouble sleeping because The most important evidence we used was: The least important evidence was Activity 2 Focus on Malawi We think the biggest challenges facing Malawi are We think this because 14

15 Malawi fact file 1 Tobacco in Malawi One quarter of tobacco farmers will experience Green Tobacco Sickness at least once Tobacco farming contributes to deforestation. Most trees are cut for fuel and charcoal, but tobacco is also an important factor Malawi uses 5% of its farming land to grow tobacco Tobacco $533m In 1990, more than 47% of the country was tree-covered, but by 2010 that had fallen to just over 39% 2016 crop Malawi exports: 80% of people work as farmers or grow food and 36,000 of them farm tobacco Coffee: $4.18m Sugar $70.1m Gold $76.4m 15

16 Malawi fact file 2 Life in Malawi Life expectancy in Malawi Is 63.9 years old On average, a child receives 10.8 years of education The literacy rate (percentage of people who can read) is 81% for men and 66% for women Malawi has a population of around 18 million people On the Human Development Index, a global ranking system that measures quality of life, Malawi ranks 170 th out of 187 countries in the world Sources: Scotland Malawi partnership World Bank World Health Organisation Atlas Media United Nations Development Programme 16

17 5. Tobacco farmers simulation game To experience what it means to be a tobacco farmer in Malawi. To understand some of the problems of depending on a single crop. To reflect on some of the complexities of being within an unequal global system. A set of farmer cards see page 19 A set of auction house cards see page 20 At least 90 food cards see page 22 A price list (on the board for example) see page school cards see page worker cards see page red cards/ dots A set of crayons and scissors per group At least 20 sheets of tobacco leaves per group see page 25 A large quantity of money cards see page 21 This is a game that will involve the entire class and will simulate, in a simplistic way, the cycle of growing, drying and curing the tobacco leaves; selling them at the auction houses; and how to budget for food and schooling for children in your family. The aim is to always have enough food for the family and send 3 children to school. Give each family a farmer card, a set of crayons, 1 pair of scissors and some sheets of tobacco leaves. The auction house needs a set of auction cards and some money cards. The local market has the food cards and some money. The teacher has the school cards and worker cards. Display the price list clearly so that everyone can see it. Begin the game by introducing pupils to the idea that they are all farmers on tobacco fields. Their aim is to produce and sell tobacco in order to buy food and send children to school. Each family needs to grow and dry (colour and cut) as much tobacco as possible. Any children who are not at school are helping. Whenever a set of 10 tobacco leaves is ready, they should take them to the auction floor for sale. 10 tobacco leaves represents 1kg.The auction house will decide the price of the tobacco by turning over an auction card. The auction house then pays the family. They can spend this money on food, at the local market and on sending a child to school, if there is enough. After 10 minutes, collect one food card per person (to demonstrate the consumption of food). Repeat after every 10 minutes. If a family does not have enough food cards after 10 minutes, they are given a red card to symbolise that they are now not getting enough to eat. After 20 minutes, groups must decide if they can afford to send one or more children to school. They must pay the school fee to the teacher and receive a school card. If they can afford to hire a worker, they must pay the teacher and receive a worker card. Split the class in groups of 5 or 6. Each group will represent one family and needs to include at least 3 children. In addition, you will need 2 volunteers to run the auction house and 3 volunteers to run the local market. (Continued next page) 17

18 5. Tobacco farmers simulation game cont. Every child who is now in school can no longer help with cutting and colouring the tobacco leaves. Repeat this process after another 20 minutes. Once the game is over, each family must count their money, food cards including any red cards, how many children are at school and how many workers they have hired. Hold a debrief session with the group using the prompts below and then reflect on what the game taught them about the life of tobacco farmers in Malawi. Did your family have enough food? Did you send all your children to school? Could you hire a worker to help in the fields? How did the game make you feel? How did it feel when the price for tobacco kept changing? What was the biggest challenge? Was the game fair? Why? Why not? Who had the power in the game? How difficult was it to plan to send your children to school or hire a worker? How did it feel to have to make the decision between sending a child to school or having enough to eat? Ask the pupils, in pairs, to think about what needs to change in order for the life of tobacco farmers and their families to improve. Use the information below to discuss their ideas. The game shows what life is like for tobacco farmers in Malawi where the tobacco prices are always fluctuating and, recently, have been low. It also highlights how tobacco farmers hold little power within the tobacco production chain. Most of the power lies with the large multinational tobacco companies who are free to set the price at which tobacco is bought (see Tobacco winners and losers, page 7). The farmers in the game are relying on a single crop, tobacco. If they had grown a variety of crops, they might have been able to compensate for the fluctuating price of tobacco. This is called diversification. However, without the skills and resources to invest in other crops it is difficult for farmers to do this. The game is an oversimplification but gives pupils an insight into the connections between tobacco farming, children labour and who controls the market. In reality, situations are much more complex. Other actors involved are local banks (farmers may have loans to pay for fertilisers and are dependent on a good price to repay them), buyers and the tobacco companies behind the buyers. 18

19 Farmer cards Family of farmers You live just outside of Lilongwe in a small village. All around you are tobacco plantations. Your whole family, including your children, work and help on the farm, in order to make enough money to live. You cannot afford to send your children to school. Your oldest child started school a few years ago but had to drop out and help on the farm. You must produce as much good quality tobacco as possible and sell it to international buyers. Colour the tobacco leaves and then cut them out using the scissors. They must be of a good quality. 10 leaves represents 10 kg of tobacco. Family of farmers You live just outside of Lilongwe in a small village. All around you are tobacco plantations. Your whole family, including your children, work and help on the farm, in order to make enough money to live. You cannot afford to send your children to school. Your oldest child started school a few years ago but had to drop out and help on the farm. You must produce as much good quality tobacco as possible and sell it to international buyers. Colour the tobacco leaves and then cut them out using the scissors. They must be of a good quality. 10 leaves represents 10 kg of tobacco. 19

20 Auction house cards 2.00 per kg 1.60 per kg 1.20 per kg 1.00 per kg 0.80 per kg 0.60 per kg 0.40 per kg 20

21 Money p 20p 20p 20p 20p 20p 20p 20p 20p 20p 21

22 Food cards 22

23 School cards 23

24 Workers cards 24

25 Tobacco cards 25

26 Price list 1 food card 40p School fees for one child 3.00 Salary for 1 farm worker

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THE ECONOMICS OF TOBACCO AND TOBACCO CONTROL, A DEVELOPMENT ISSUE. ANNETTE DIXON, WORLD BANK DIRECTOR, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGION The facts and figures clearly show the enormous