Smith Julia, Lee Kelley
Faculty of Health Sciences, Blusson Hall, Room 11802, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6,
Rev Afr Polit Econ. 2018;45(156):186-202. doi: 10.1080/03056244.2018.1431213. Epub 2018 May 11.
Malawi, the world's most tobacco dependent country, has long defended the tobacco industry as essential to its economy. The impoverished living conditions of tobacco farmers, however, raise questions about the true benefits accruing to the country. While the government and industry often blame public health advocates for declining leaf prices, and thus lower returns to farmers, this article scrutinises these claims from a historical perspective. It argues that a context of state capture has characterised Malawi's tobacco industry, originating with colonisation and evolving since to become increasingly entrenched. The analysis is divided into four periods: colonial (1890s-1964); national (1964-1981); liberalisation (1981-2004) and accelerated globalisation (2004 to present). Each period demonstrates how industry interests influenced government institutions and policies in ways that increased dependence on a crop that only benefits a minority of Malawians. Today, a transnational elite prospers at the expense of local growers.
马拉维是世界上对烟草依赖程度最高的国家，长期以来一直将烟草产业视为其经济的支柱。然而，烟农贫困的生活条件让人质疑该国从中获得的真正利益。尽管政府和烟草行业常常指责公共卫生倡导者导致烟叶价格下跌，进而使烟农收益减少，但本文从历史角度审视了这些说法。文章认为，国家俘获的情况一直是马拉维烟草产业的特征，这种情况始于殖民时期，并不断演变，至今愈发根深蒂固。分析分为四个时期：殖民时期（19世纪90年代至1964年）；国家时期（1964年至1981年）；自由化时期（1981年至2004年）以及加速全球化时期（2004年至今）。每个时期都表明，产业利益以增加对一种仅使少数马拉维人受益的作物的依赖的方式，影响着政府机构和政策。如今，一个跨国精英阶层以牺牲当地烟农的利益为代价而繁荣发展。
