Tobacco Decline and Predecessor Infographic
History of Tobacco
Tobacco has a long history as a cash crop across the world, dating back as far as the year 6,000 BC when Native Americans began to cultivate the plant. But it wasn't until the 1400s that Europeans first encountered the crop as gifts from the Natives when Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. From 1531 to 1730, Tobacco became one of the most famous cash crops.
In the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States, tobacco became a staple and livelihood for the residents for over one hundred years. Starting in North Carolina in 1870 with the production of flue-cured tobacco. In East Tennessee, Burley tobacco was in high demand until 1924.
"Through the years tobacco has ranked among the top five leading cash crops in the state and has ranked number one on several occasions. For the past thirty years soybeans and tobacco have competed for the number one cash crop, (Murray Miles, 2021)"
Local farmers, Pearl Hopper and Tamara Smith grew up farming the crop with their families. Now in the modern day, they recite their memories of the cash crop, who bought it, and when the crop went on the decline.
The process of farming tobacco, according to Philip Morris International, begins when a seed is planted. According to Britannica, After two months the seed grows to fifteen to twenty centimeters, and from there, it will continue to grow for another two to three months. The crop is harvested seventy to one hundred and thirty days after planting, then put up to cure to change the lead's properties. Finally, the tobacco leaf is graded and baled for the convenience of the buyer.
A little fun fact, tobacco sticks can be used for crafts such as lawn ornaments. The stick was used to stab the leaves to be hung to cure in barns. With the decline of the cash crop, many artists came up with new uses for the stick. There are many fun ideas for using tobacco sticks from wreaths, shelves, lanterns, and even lawn ornaments.
Tobacco sticks turned into decorations for my grandfather's grave.
Modern Day Tobacco
Picture of a tobacco barn used for hanging tobacco to dry before selling it
As of 2014, the American South's tobacco country is surviving, and even thriving in some cases, as demand overseas keeps growers in the fields of one of America's oldest cash crops. At this time, Virginia tobacco was in high demand. According to YahooFinance, In 2017, More than 40% of the tobacco was produced in China, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, Malawi, and Zimbabwe which were among the other top producers.
"This is the same trend we've seen in the tobacco industry for years- consolidation- because it's a mature industry, and of course cigarette consumption in the United States declining. There will continue to be a demand for tobacco, specifically from the Old- Belt region of Virginia and North Carolina simply because of the quality of the leaf that's produced in this part of the United States, (Associated Press, 2014)."
However, as the years passed, and research on the crop began to prosper, many negative effects of the plant were soon the topic of discussion. Tobacco production in the U.S.
has decreased by 48.6% in the past twenty years.
A local farmer, Tina Mullins, grew up farming the crop with her family. She discussed her family's reason for stopping their production and what they switched to after the crop's decline.
Tobacco harvesting before drying.
When did your family quit growing it?
"We were forced to stop growing it when President Clinton raised the tax on it so high that we couldn't make enough money to survive off of it anymore. This didn't make sense to us because the US kept buying tobacco from other countries but cut the throats of American tobacco farmers. They continue to this day to buy from other countries, but the American tobacco farmer is almost non-existent now. Clinton said that raising the tax would force people to not use tobacco products...It just caused millions of farmers to be unemployed, Mullins said."
What did your family switch to after?
"We all had to learn other skills, and some just farmed cattle. It was a sad time for us, people who spent their whole lives and knew nothing else. They didn't have anywhere else to turn to, Mullins said."
"In 2005, the $10 billion buyout of tobacco farmers and quota holders as part of the termination of the federal tobacco price support program sharply accelerated these trends. Smaller family tobacco farms are no longer the rule but the exception, as larger agribusinesses have taken their place, (2024)."
"Tobacco use is a leading cause of multiple cancers such as oral cancers, lung, liver, stomach, bowel and ovarian cancers, as well as some types of leukemia. It contributes to 25% of all cancer deaths globally, an estimated 2.5 million per year, (2024)."
A Professor of Environmental Science at Grace College, Dr. Nate Bosch, discussed soil, the planting process for different types of crops, and environmental harm.
Nate Bosch, Ph.D. from Grace.edu
Can you tell me about the environmental impact that tobacco production has caused?
"With cash crops, we bring in chemicals that are problematic for the environment, leaking into soil and water, disturbing weeds and algae, and causing more problems with fresh and saltwater species, Bosch says."
Tobacco fields ready for harvest.
Upon research, tobacco production has led to soil contamination and greenhouse gas emissions, can you tell me what these, among other effects, mean?
"Soil contamination from pesticides could cause problems years later if that farmland was put back into the natural ecosystem. Nitrate could also increase and get into the water from the soil contamination. Greenhouse gases are tricky, any growing plant is going to absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into glucose through photosynthesis. On the other hand, the seasonal changes in the crop and the organic material of the soil could release carbon dioxide, CO2, back into the atmosphere. A lot of the things we are talking about is, "Too much of a good thing," Bosch says."
As an environmental science major and professor, what do you think is the most important to know about the environment?
"I would say when I look at the natural environment around us as inter-connected. Predator, prey, parasites, symbiosis, decomposition, energy movement. When we influence one, we influence all. I believe that God created that relationship, and in a way, a series of ecosystems. This shows us the relationship with the world and God, as we restore ecosystems. God not only made it but told us to take care of it, so we are stewards. It is for everyone, and it is up to us to encourage others to take care of the world around us and take up positive roles as well, Bosch says."
Predecessors
Picture of a tobacco barn used for hanging tobacco to dry before selling it
Now, Farmers worldwide, who once relied on tobacco as their livelihood, were forced to switch to other farming tactics when the cash crop declined. Soybeans, parsley, and hemp have been two of the biggest replacements by farmers. However, some poorer farmers found the switch to be difficult.
Parsley
Soybeans
In Tennessee, the state legalized the cultivation of hemp in 2019. Because the crime lab found that hemp, classified as Cannabis sativa, contained less than 0.3% of THC. Other states are most likely to follow, and now Cannabis, legal, is one of the predecessors of Tobacco.
"Tobacco is out, hemp is in. In recent years, farmers across the country have chosen hemp as their new money-making crop. The benefits of farming hemp outweigh the benefits of farming tobacco and many popular crops that have been farmed for years. Research has shown that farming hemp helps the environment in countless ways, (Logan Ridenour, 2024.)"
Hemp plant, seeds, and oil
"In response to declining cigarette sales, Reynolds American Inc. (the second largest US cigarette manufacturer) and other cigarette companies have ventured into the manufacturing and sales of smokeless tobacco and other nicotine-containing products, (American Journal of Public Health. 2016)."
Another predecessor is Vapes or E-Cigarettes. In 2019, 53.1% of people in the United States who vaped before 30 days reported being "a little" or "very addicted" to e-cigarettes.
"The use of e-cigarettes, or "vaping," is exploding among the pediatric population. E-cigarettes heat a solution containing a psychoactive compound, most commonly nicotine or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), along with flavorings and other additives to a vapor, which users inhale. Since their introduction in the early 2000s, e-cigarette use is now prolific among youth, per the Monitoring the Future survey, with over 40% of high school seniors reporting use within the past year... Public health efforts are urgently needed to decrease or eliminate new e-cigarette initiation, and support should be established to assist current e-cigarette users with cessation, (Critical Reviews in Toxicology. 2020)."
Nicotine and tobacco products are still being produced in many non-smoking ways. As vapes replace cigarettes, hemp replaces tobacco growth.
"The tobacco industry is engaging in development of pure nicotine and pharmaceutical products worldwide. 26,27 It is important to monitor the development of these products. (American Journal of Public Health. 2016)."
So, what can you do?
Farming is the future, and anyone can help support their local farmers by buying from and volunteering at local markets, getting to know said local farmers, and helping establish the relationship between the farmers and local schools. One cash crop on the decline gives room for others to emerge.
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