•        The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently stated that tobacco is grown on 3.2 million hectares of fertile land across 124 countries (including areas of acute hunger) and causes eight million deaths annually. Hence, it urged nations to cease subsidising tobacco crops and assist farmers in growing food to combat the rising hunger around the world.  Disaster for food, breach in environmental security: •        According to WHO, nine of the 10 largest tobacco cultivators are from low and middle-income countries. The recent report titled "Grow food, not tobacco," stated that 349 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity, majority living in 30 African nations. •        Tobacco farming ultimately encroaches the arable land leading to deforestation, contamination of water sources and soil degradation.  Vicious role of Tobacco industry: •        The report criticises the tobacco industry of exaggerating the economic benefits of tobacco as a cash crop and entangling farmers in a web of dependency and debt. The crop contributes to less than 1% of the GDP, and the profits are pocketed by the world's largest cigarette manufacturers while farmers are pushed further into debt.  Impact on farmers and their families: •        Tobacco producers are inevitably exposed to harmful chemicals and nicotine toxicity. An estimated 1.3 million child labourers are working on tobacco plantations instead of attending school, which has terrible impact on communities and entire cultures.   Breaking the cycle: •        Through collaboration of the WHO, FAO and WFP on the Tobacco Free Farms programme, thousands of farmers from nations like Kenya and Zambia are assisted through microcredit loans to pay off their debts with tobacco companies, as well as provide with knowledge and training to grow sustainable crops. The programme is set to expand to Asian and South American countries as well.