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Tobacco farmers have appealed to the Union Government to allow them to take part in the upcoming Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of Parties (COP7) Meeting scheduled to be held in India.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is holding the crucial tobacco meeting in India from November 7-12 this year.
The decisions taken at the meeting will have an impact on the livelihoods of millions of tobacco farmers and farm labour, BV JavareGowda, President of Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), has said.
“The farmers should be allowed to participate in the deliberations as it will help them understand the future course of actions being proposed by the WHO on tobacco control,” he said, in the appeal made to the Government.
MuraliBabu, General Secretary of the federation, will ensure transparency and give us an opportunity to put forth our views.
FAIFA has also written to the FCTC Secretariat asking it to allow the farmers’ representatives it to take part in the November conference.
“It is a matter of great concern for us that FCTC decisions in the past are made behind closed doors. It is clear that the interests of tobacco growers are not represented in the debates especially when the decisions arrived at during the Conference have direct bearing on the lives of tobacco growers,” he pointed out.
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