Tobacco is legally marketed in all countries of the world (except Bhutan), someones has strong restrictions because of its adverse effects on health by carrying a volatile and addictive alkaloid; the nicotine. Thousands of Spanish families are still living by the production of this plant; they face an opulent, opaque and aggressive industry, with long historical and political structures, as well as a complex dispatch between small farmers and powerful intercontinental companies.
The tobacco lobbies are leaving offside the small growers who have resisted the crisis of production and fall of consumption, by its current situation, with one million kilos loss per year, add exhaustive controls and less benefits. Spain led the tobacco leaves market in Europe, most of the production (95%) is concentrated in the north of Extremadura. Those valleys have been most affected in the processes of changes in the tobacco business. Most current growers need to alternate with other products or business affairs, and predict the disappearance of tobacco artisan culture in this area in the coming years. Despite following numerous guidelines and exhaustive controls, they claim not to be able to compete with other countries that offer the product at low prices (by lack of regulations, tax advantages or illegalities).
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