BAT 2611.50p About us Our products How we work Sustainability Investors Media Reporting Careers Sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods They grow, we grow: helping farmers to thrive Tobacco leaf is the most essential part of our products, so the farmers who grow it are absolutely crucial to the success of our business. 00:00 00:00 Sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods How does BAT support farmer livelihoods and sustainable agriculture? Watch in higher quality on YouTube Download transcript (PDF 77 kB) Our agricultural supply chain We do not own tobacco farms or directly employ farmers – but our approach to agriculture and working with farmers means that we have strong influence. Our global Leaf function has centralised management over our tobacco leaf supply chain. The majority (approximately 61%) of our tobacco leaf is sourced by our own BAT leaf operations in 18 countries, which contract directly with over 84,000 farmers. The remaining leaf we buy is sourced through third-party suppliers from 26 countries that in turn contract with over 250,000 farmers. All our suppliers are managed centrally by our Group's leaf function, which enables global oversight of our supply chain and the sustainability risks and issues inherent in agriculture. We have a defined approach to identifying our most strategic and critical leaf sources, which takes account of a number of parameters, including the tobacco type, geography and commercial factors, such as price and volume. Over 80% of our total leaf purchases are from these strategic sources. Regarding the farms in our supply chain and the farmers we work with: Tobacco is grown on an average of 40% of farmers’ land, generating around 60% of their total farm income. 90% of our farmers grow other crops, including fruit, vegetables, wheat, maize, cotton and soy bean. Average farmer age is 43 years. Majority are small-scale family farms of one hectare or less. Approximately 130,000 school-age children live on the family farms. A strategic approach Agricultural supply chains are particularly vulnerable to a range of challenges, including climate change and water scarcity, increasing demand for land and natural resources, rural poverty, social inequality, child labour and ageing farmer populations. Tobacco is no exception. At BAT, we have a long and proud history of working directly with farmers around the world and advancing agricultural practices. This benefits our farmers by giving them the resources and support they need to be successful, as well as helping to secure our long-term supply of tobacco leaf and ensuring the integrity and quality of our products to satisfy our consumers. We see an opportunity for us to build on this longstanding approach, to work with others to develop multi-stakeholder solutions to increasing challenges and expectations and to further enhance the livelihoods of farmers and their communities. We focus on two key programmes to ensure the long-term sustainability of our tobacco leaf supply chain and to enhance farmer livelihoods: Sustainable Tobacco Programme: We use the industry-wide Sustainable Tobacco Programme to conduct formal assessments and independent on-site reviews for 100% of our tier one tobacco leaf suppliers, including all our own leaf operations, to ensure alignment with international standards, such as for human rights and environmental protection Thrive sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods programme: Our Thrive programme goes beyond audit and compliance by taking a more holistic and collaborative approach to identifying and addressing long-term challenges that have an impact on the livelihoods of farming communities and the sustainability of agriculture. Tobacco farming More than 100 countries grow tobacco. China grows the most, followed by Brazil, India, USA and Zimbabwe. Less than 1% of the world’s total agricultural land is estimated to be used for tobacco farming (based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations). Tobacco is only grown for part of the year leaving the land available for other crops, including food, to be grown during the rest of the year. The guidelines that govern our business Policies, principles and standards New programme drives industry-wide supplier standards Sustainable Tobacco Programme Developing collaborative solutions Human rights and child labour in tobacco growing External links International Tobacco Growers Association A day in the life of... A day in the life of our work with farmers and our leaf research. ESG Report 2020 Download our Environmental, Social, and Governance Report 2020 How we work Corporate behaviour Regulation Illegal tobacco trade Sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods Sustainable Tobacco Programme Enhancing livelihoods Focused support for farming communities Independent research Human rights and modern slavery Environment and climate change Supply chain management Home How we work Sustainable agriculture and farmer livelihoods Follow us Latest tweets BAT @BATplc Check out our Quarterly Science Updates to find out more about the #science and #innovation accelerating BAT's… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 25 Nov Earlier this month, BAT’s #digitaltransformation was recognised with a prestigious award for our Director of Digita… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 25 Nov Current UK share price 2611.50p +29.00p 25 Nov 2021 16:35 Quick Links Modern Slavery Statement Gender Pay Report Annual Report Sustainability Report Science and Technology Report Share price data Worldwide websites Standards of Business Conduct Site map Contact us BAT Globe House 4 Temple Place London WC2R 2PG +44 (0) 20 7845 1000 Accessibility Privacy Notice Cookie Notice Conditions of use Financial information We collect and store information on your device when you use this website including setting cookies. 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